Director Rd Food Material Science Job In Na

At New School Foods, our mission is to accelerate the transition to a kinder, healthier, alt-protein-first food system. Using our proprietary production technology, we create zero-compromise meat alternatives designed to enable global impact. Our healthy, whole-cut, plant-based filets are made to look, cook, taste and flake just like fish. All with a lower carbon footprint, and zero harm to the ocean.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

We are looking for a talented Director of R&D to lead our fast-growing Food Material Science team. This organized, motivated, creative, and results-oriented individual will have had experience managing a team of scientists in creating food products. We’re looking for a candidate with a track record of keeping teams organized, prioritized & inspired.

AS OUR DIRECTOR OF R&D, YOU WILL:

• Lead a team developing cutting-edge plant-based meat/ fish products through research, product development and process innovation.
• Responsible for improving the organoleptic properties, nutrition profile, macrostructure, and cooking experience of our products
• Thought leadership on research direction by successfully identifying critical knowledge gaps and valuable whitespace opportunities
• Optimally leverage available resources towards the fulfillment of the business mission, including team (expertise and manpower resource), external knowledge (academic literature, IP, experts), budget (instrument, materials procurement).
• Drive new product development from ideation to bench-top prototypes to pilot production to commercialization.
• Ensure compliance with food safety standards
• Lead the design and execution of experiments, development of SOPs & protocols for new procedures, ensure the synthesis of data and review results
• Lead collaborative interactions with a broad group of external partners including academic researchers, analytical service providers, consultants, ingredient suppliers, equipment manufacturers, IP lawyers, and regulatory professionals.
• Continuously search for and vet advanced technologies that complement areas of strategic focus, and gather insight into new ingredient technologies
• Lead the drafting of patents, scientific papers, presentations
• Provide mentorship, training and experimental guidance
• Lead knowledge management and effective communication of scientific progress
• Manage a lab with a broad array of sample preparation and analytical equipment (texture analyzer, colorimeter etc) ensuring proper maintenance and operation.
• Ensure a clean, organized, and safe work area and ensure compliance with all safety policies and practices.

YOUR INNATE SKILLS & TRAITS:

• Embraces the mission and purpose of New School Foods
• Demonstrated ability to build and lead a high performance team
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement a successful research strategy within a commercial environment
• Excitement for working in a fast-paced environment, with high energy, creativity, personal dedication, accountability and ownership
• Understands and thrives in an unstructured startup environment and is able to develop structure and process where required while maintaining flexibility and agility
• Excellent time management, and communication skills (verbal and written), with ability to manage multiple projects and priorities
• Adaptable to evolving scientific and business priorities
• Business acumen

YOU WILL BRING:

• PhD in a scientific discipline (materials science, physics or biophysics, chemistry, physical chemistry, biological or chemical engineering, or a related field) with 10+ years of product development experience in a food and/or food ingredient company, OR M.S. with 7+ years of experience OR B.S. with 15+ years of experience
• 5+ years of experience managing a team of scientists
• Proven track record of R&D thought leadership
• Deep Experience in food product design, including formulation, ingredient functionality and interaction, sensory analysis, process design, product scale-up, plant testing and commercialization
• Proven ability to leverage scientific insight towards the development of food processes and/or products
• Deep knowledge of food ingredients such as proteins, fats, hydrocolloids, flavorants, colorants, and nutrients including economics, sourcing, structure-function understanding, analytical testing and formulation know-how,
• Deep knowledge of scientific principles key to the development of plant based meat and fish products including texture development, emulsion technology, flavor-ingredient interactions, color chemistry, nutrition, microbiological safety and food preservation.
• Demonstrated knowledge of lab techniques and instrumentation
• Knowledge of industry standard processing techniques and the ability to research, design and implement disruptive technologies new to the industry
• Experienced in the protection of intellectual property through IP strategy development and the drafting of patents
• Excellent knowledge of food industry standards of quality, food safety and USDA/FDA regulations
• Nice to haves but not required: Prior experimental research experience in a wet lab // Experience in meat product or alternative/plant based meat product formulation and commercialization // Diverse experience with plant-based protein alternatives preferred but not required

New School Foods offers competitive salaries and benefits, paid time off, and more. This position is for our Toronto, Canada location. Support in securing a work visa is available for international candidates selected for the role and willing to relocate to Canada.

We’re committed to creating an inclusive culture as we know that diverse teams build better products and generate better ideas. We strongly encourage applications from everyone regardless of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability status.