R&D Technician

R&D Technician - Glenview (onsite)
Pay : $40/hr

Excellent communication skills
Strong computer proficiency
Effective time management, adaptability across diverse teams, and keen attention to detail
Demonstrated curiosity with a proactive approach to learning and asking questions
Education: Minimum Associates degree, Bachelors preferred

Responsibilities include:

1. Sample preparation & analysis – Assembling samples of beverages and desserts including measuring with analytical balances, heating, mixing, cooling, filling into packaging, labeling, storage, diluting using pipettors, and logging samples into lab management system. Strong attention to detail is a must for this role.

2. Shelf-life testing support – Sample preparation (weighing up materials, dilution using pipettor, mixing, labeling) and logging for analysis, support with clean up following testing. With some instruction can assemble Microsoft Forms surveys, collect data, and summarize trends based on collected data.

3. Inventory management of ingredients and chemicals – logging chemicals for disposal, ordering materials as needed, and ensuring all ingredients are put away at end of workday. Purchases in-market samples as needed.

4. Support for pilot plant trials – Attending onsite trials to support mixing, labeling, packing samples and completing benchtop analytical testing including pH, titratable acidity, Brix, colorimetry, density. Must be able to safely lift anywhere from 5 to 50 lbs. of ingredients.

5. Lab Management – Ensures lab environment is clean, organized, and in working order each day. Responsible for weekly calibration of analytical balances, creating maintenance work orders, and conducting monthly safety checks.

6. Specification management – Updating records for materials, formulas, and trade items to reflect accurate information; requesting cross-functional approvals and following up as needed.

7. Graphics Reviews – Downloading and uploading reports and verifying graphics information (including nutrition facts panels, ingredient lines, product information such as net content) are a match to report.

8. Strong data analysis and mathematics skills – Able to analyze large data sets using Excel to provide high-level summaries, can represent data using graphing functions in Excel. Can convert between units of measurement, calculate averages, and scale up formulations when given target values.

9. Must have experience with Microsoft Office suite including Excel, Outlook, and Forms.