INTRODUCTION
Are you passionate about organic food; eating it, talking about it, making it? Do you thrive on finding solutions, where others see barriers? Do want to use your passion and skills to support independent organic farming in the US? Then you might be the right person to join our small but growing team doing just that at Shenandoah Valley Organic. We are on a mission to promote and protect generational family farms by crafting amazing food that is raised organically, humanely, and sustainably. We are charting a course make Farmer Focus, the premier organic fresh chicken brand on the east coast. Our plans include a delivering best in class product experience on our existing line of fresh chicken, developing new platforms of innovation in adjacent categories and launching exciting innovation that brings our brand’s mission to consumer’s tables.
Our culture is based on servant leadership, encouraging independent thought and action, gratitude and getting it right, not being right.
POSITION SUMMARY
Farmer Focus is seeking a technical leader to help build consumer driven innovation. This role will partner closely with Marketing, Quality Assurance, and Operations to bring new products and product improvements to market focusing on consumer viability, profitability, and operational feasibility.
Our ideal candidate will have experience in creating new products in both fresh and fully cooked proteins. They will understand the importance of big company rigor and process but drive a sense of urgency and accountability with their teams.
Reasonable Accommodations Statement
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Essential Functions Statement(s)
• Responsible for independently developing and executing R&D and new product initiatives that advance the company’s goals
• Be the champion of innovation, while fostering a spirt of collaboration and comprise to achieve goals in a rapidly growing business
• Partner with QA and Operations to ensure new and existing products are delivering “Best In Class” Product Experience
• Work closely with Marketing and Sales to design products that achieve product scope requirements while delivering on targets (Viability, Feasibility, Profitability)
• To turn consumer needs into R&D projects and solutions. This includes the development and execution of scientific research, the analysis, interpretation, and communication of results and commercialized solutions
• Assist in sourcing raw ingredients complying with USDA Organic, Certified Humane, GAP and Project Non-GMO Food standards.
• Manage the department within company assets to promote plant efficiency while best utilizing all internal and external resources. Keeping in mind overall company goals, business needs and financial gains or losses.
• Be forthcoming with quality/cost issues when converting products from R&D processes to Plant processes.
• Lead and supervise plant trials and new product start-ups, ensuring product & package design criteria are achieved.
• Ensure all newly created or revised products will be successfully transferred from lab status to production status without quality or processing concerns.
• Maintain accurate and complete records, including shelf-life reports, sensory evaluations, regulatory documentation, etc.
• Conduct analysis of results and translate into actionable recommendations.
• Maintain effective, frequent and professional cross-functional communication with internal and external groups, vendors and suppliers to keep team members informed of project status and keep project objectives on track.
• Identify and evaluate new co-packers based on project brief
Position Requirements
• Bachelor’s degree (B.S.), preferably in Meat science or Food Science from four-year College, or university; a master’s degree or PHD is preferred
• 5-7 years of working experience in the branded consumer products industry with meat proteins within a manufacturing facility with additional preference for natural/organic experience
• Must have demonstrated technical expertise in meat ingredient applications, fully functional within types of meat proteins, blended meat processes and cooking of meat products.
• History of successful collaborative work in cross-functional team environments
• Has demonstrated capability in white-space product development
• Has demonstrated capability in commercialization, including project management, plant trials, and start-up
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to handle a variety of responsibilities simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Must possess: a sense of urgency, accountability, responsibility, ambition.
• Positive, energetic, confident, professional and team-oriented attitude.
Other Requirements
• Vision (Near, Color, Depth Perception) Must be able to pass color vision test.
• Ability to climb 1 – 2 flights of stairs 2 – 6 times daily.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Work conducted primarily in an office environment but will be required to access the production environment. Must be able to tolerate the varying heat, wet and chill of the plant. Hearing and eye protective equipment required in the production area. Required to wear hair and beard nets in the production area.
