The R&D Associate Scientist plays a key role in the end-to-end product development process. The position combines hands-on experimental work with scientific research and documentation to ensure successful products. The R&D Associate Scientist ensures the successful execution of sample requests, maintains, and improves the R&D material management system, and organizes the R&D products warehouse. In addition, the role supports the execution of stability and shelf-life studies. Close collaboration with cross-functional teams, including Quality, Procurement, and Commercial, as well as with external suppliers and partners, is essential.
Key Responsibilities:
- Support the product development process by conducting research and reviewing scientific literature and incorporate useful information in NPD.
- Collaborate with the R&D team and actively participate in the process of new product development by working on recipe concepts and ideas or by designing recipe formulas and conducting sensory evaluations
- Operate equipment in pilot as part of new product development and research process
- Support the scale up process of new products and participate actively in all stages required (preparation, measurements, packaging and proper storage).
- Organize and maintain the R&D materials management system and the actual warehouse according to GMPs to ensure efficient and secure storage and integrity
- Produce samples for NPD and commercial purposes on a lab scale when needed
- Execute the process of samples requests by the commercial team, including preparation, sorting, and packaging according to requirements and timelines
- Organize and maintain the R&D and active products management system and warehouse for commercial presentations/samples requests according to GMPs to ensure efficient and secure storage.
- Execute stability testing and shelf-life studies on products before first production and on active products in collaboration with the Quality and R&D teams
- Work close with raw materials suppliers, attending meetings, seminars, or exhibitions to stay updated on new materials solutions that enhance functionality and the existing flavoring capabilities
- Coordinate with the procurement team and suppliers to obtain the necessary materials for scheduled lab scale and scale-up trials
- Present the outcome of the development process in a clear, meaningful, and detailed way by keeping documented files including instructions per step, ingredients, special handling, photos, etc, ensuring that files for product development are used properly and consistently.
- Track and organize all documentation and communication relevant to active projects
- Perform other duties as assigned to achieve team and company goals.
- Μaintain a clean and organized workspace.
- Actively participate in grant-funded research projects by conducting comprehensive market research, regulatory research, product development, and prototyping, and by delivering final research reports that meet the project's specific requirements and objectives, if required.
- Ensure that all developed recipes and product concepts are appropriately documented and copyrighted to protect the company’s intellectual property.