Summary:
The Sr. Research Scientist position provides project leadership of product development projects in Hershey’s sweets portfolio. The ability to operate with medium to high autonomy across all initiatives is required. The successful candidate will consistently demonstrate, apply, and disseminate technical knowledge and expertise. This candidate must demonstrate proven problem-solving skills and is a critical thinker, resulting in problem resolution and process improvements.
Responsibilities:
- Focused on developing new products across our sweets portfolio including hard candy, gummies, licorice/ropes, and chews, as well as product renovations and quality improvement
- Performs prototyping and development from bench top to manufacturing scale
- Interact closely with a cross-functional team including marketing, QRC, manufacturing, and engineering, project management
- Product Development Leadership from benchtop to pilot plant to manufacturing scale
- Actively seek new technologies and innovation opportunities
- Partner with Supply Chain to provide technical support to drive quality and value improvement in products and process
- Partner with Supply Chain to enable capacity expansion across our sweets portfolio
Qualifications:
- Demonstrated experience leading innovation initiatives, such as product development, quality improvement, cost improvement, technology validation, or process optimization
- Hands on skills involving running laboratory and pilot plant equipment
- Demonstrated knowledge of sweet candies – chews, hard candy, gummies, licorice/ropes
Experience and Education Requirements:
- Demonstrated autonomous leadership
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects/priorities (strong project management skills)
- Demonstrated leadership skills
- BS degree in Food Science, Chemical Engineering, Food Engineering, Chemistry, or related field with 4+ years' experience, MS in Food Science or related field with 2-4 years related experience, or PhD in Food Science or related field with 1+ years’ experience.
- Intern and prior research project work will be considered
