Job Details

Managing Director - Irving Knight Group // Flavours & Fragrance Consultant

About the Company

The Food Application and Technical Services Manager is responsible for providing technical support to customers and internal teams for color solutions, dehydrated ingredient solutions, product development and product commercialization, and strategic technical sales support for US and Canada. This role has the responsibility to liaise between Technical, Sales, Customer Care, Quality, and Operations Teams to ensure customer project needs are met in a timely manner. The desired candidate will lead a team of 4-6 technicians/scientists focused on solving simple to complex application problems, customer support and color performance testing across food application matrices, yet still have the drive to be “hands‑on”. Responsible tech services project pipeline management, customer visits, technical expertise, product demonstrations, trade shows, team training and development, technical services laboratory management and other activities for my client. This position has a 25% - 50% travel potential. Follows all quality procedures, safety regulations, and policies as set forth by the company in addition to all local, state and federal employment laws.

About the Role

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develops and executes strategic business development plans with clear sales objectives in conjunction with sales, for the US and Canada, where technical support will result in increased sales. Responsible for directly impacting sales results for US and Canada and is held accountable accordingly.
• Manages and oversees for the US laboratory team, ensuring all performance criteria and goals are met.
• Establishes project goals and priorities and manages application project pipeline by continuously collaborating with Formulation, Operations, Marketing and Sales.
• Travels with the sales team as required and as part of business development plans, providing technical support and conducting customer presentations as needed.
• Prioritizes and assigns necessary resources to complete tasks associated with duties and responsibilities to ensure internal and external project demands are met on time.
• Oversees all application process and protocols and thrives for continuous improvement aligned with my client's strategic business goals.
• Retains full responsibility and develops technical solutions to customer-driven and marketing-driven food and beverage projects from bench‑top to commercial scale levels. This requires being able to perform in laboratory, pilot plant, and plant processing environments.
• Demonstrates leadership and managerial skills while building a robust application team. Continuously works on improving the team's understanding of food science and processes, problem‑solving skills, collaboration skills and customer focus.
• Manages career development plans of direct reports with guidance from direct manager.
• Provides technical and application support to customers and builds insights based on development learnings that can be used to accelerate customer development timelines.
• Develops and maintains close liaisons with technical stakeholders at key customers by delivering superior customer service experience and value‑added solutions in a timely manner.
• Continuously works with manager and other regional technical sales managers on improving technical sales support and internal technical support processes for the organization.
• In collaboration with marketing department takes ownership of all technical support, prototype development, and product displays needed for regional trade shows, and other marketing activities for the region.
• Updates all project recordkeeping systems and provides prompt communication to all stakeholders.
• Understands the chemistry and functionality of food ingredients in color and dehydrated products formulations and remains current with relevant food and beverage industry trends.
• Trains internal and external customers as needed on all technical aspects of my clients businesses.
• Works closely with my client Production and Quality/Regulatory Departments to review, recommend and implement necessary changes to new and existing products through the manufacturing and QA/QC process as needed.
• Approves specifications of raw material and packing material used for applications manufactured by the company.
• Maintains a laboratory notebook and all required documentation for project work and ensures all team members follow appropriate recordkeeping processes.
• Ensures compliance with the regulations governing products developed by the company in assigned regions.
• Is a champion for all safety requirements, offers suggestions to enhance site safety and reports all incidents/accidents to the management immediately.
• Ensure all team members follow SOPs, GLPs, and GMPs where needed.
• Reports to Global Technical Services Director.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in food science, chemistry or related area from a four‑year college or university with a minimum of ten (10) years related experience and/or training; or a master's degree in food science, chemistry or related area, with a minimum of seven (7) years related experience and/or training; or equivalent. MBA preferred.
• Bonus based upon company performance and achievement of key sales objectives and budget.

Required Skills

• In‑depth understanding and knowledge of the principles of food science and processing.
• In‑depth understanding and practical experience with production/manufacturing preferred.
• Color science understanding is a strong plus.
• Excels at project management and project team management.
• Work requires excellent written, verbal and group presentation communication skills.
• Work requires the ability and experience of successfully managing people.
• Ability to apply commonsense to solve problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
• Works well with short timelines and multiple tasks.
• Travel requirement is 25%-50%.

Seniority level

Mid‑Senior level

Employment type

Full‑time

Job function

Research

Industries

Food and Beverage Manufacturing