R&D Lab Technician

Maintain complete product files to support government label compliance standards and technical advertising/promotional claims through the development and maintenance of label, nutrition, and regulatory files per standards. Act as subject matter expert to apply FDA/USDA regulations and its standards and principles of food science in close concert with the department manager and other appropriate resources. Provide regulatory perspective for new and legacy products, and help identify and resolve regulatory hurdles. Working independently, with external and internal experts, and with other Koch Foods' team members to prepare scientific support documentation for internal and external customers. Monitor preprinted packaging for accuracy. Enter and update specification information into database. Verify regulatory information against specifications and labeling on file. Facilitate shelf life and nutritional testing. Generate daily reports for production and packaging. Work on special projects as needed. Assist production with packaging issues when necessary. Recommend proper packaging materials (sizes and configurations) for existing and new product development. Collaborate with Procurement to standardize packaging where possible while simultaneously designing customized packaging for unique product lines. Communicate with packaging suppliers to develop appropriate packaging specifications and populate specification database with information. Facilitate discussions across the cross-functional team (both internal and external) to move from artwork initiation through to printing finalization. Responsible for recordkeeping of supplier documentation speaking to the appropriate compliance of all primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging materials with various food types and storage conditions. Visit supplier and/or customer facilities as needed. All other relevant duties as assigned. Associate's degree in Food, Biological, Chemical, Physical, or Packaging Sciences, Food Engineering, Industrial Manufacturing, or other closely related field preferred. 3+ years food industry experience required. Experience working in regulatory, production, quality assurance/control, or lab preferred. Exposure to working with and current knowledge of USDA/FDA/FSMA regulations as they pertain to labeling, standards of identity, allergens, and food safety. Experience working with and current understanding of nutrition, labeling, and regulatory concepts gained through technical reading, industry interaction, and/or attendance at appropriate seminars and educational courses as continuing education and scientific curiosity. Ability to identify problems, collect data, establish facts, forecast, and draw conclusions both mathematically and analytically. Excellent verbal and written presentation skills to communicate with peers, managers, and executive leadership team. Bilingual language abilities are a plus. Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Office products, including Word, Excel, and Outlook. General knowledge of food ingredients, interactions, and nutrition levels is preferred. Willingness and ability to travel up to 10% of the time for overnight travel.

Back to blog
Ads

Common Interview Questions And Answers

1. HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY?

This is what this question poses: When do you focus and start working seriously? What are the hours you work optimally? Are you a night owl? A morning bird? Remote teams can be made up of people working on different shifts and around the world, so you won't necessarily be stuck in the 9-5 schedule if it's not for you...

2. HOW DO YOU USE THE DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS?

When you're working on a remote team, there's no way to chat in the hallway between meetings or catch up on the latest project during an office carpool. Therefore, virtual communication will be absolutely essential to get your work done...

3. WHAT IS "WORKING REMOTE" REALLY FOR YOU?

Many people want to work remotely because of the flexibility it allows. You can work anywhere and at any time of the day...

4. WHAT DO YOU NEED IN YOUR PHYSICAL WORKSPACE TO SUCCEED IN YOUR WORK?

With this question, companies are looking to see what equipment they may need to provide you with and to verify how aware you are of what remote working could mean for you physically and logistically...

5. HOW DO YOU PROCESS INFORMATION?

Several years ago, I was working in a team to plan a big event. My supervisor made us all work as a team before the big day. One of our activities has been to find out how each of us processes information...

6. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE CALENDAR AND THE PROGRAM? WHICH APPLICATIONS / SYSTEM DO YOU USE?

Or you may receive even more specific questions, such as: What's on your calendar? Do you plan blocks of time to do certain types of work? Do you have an open calendar that everyone can see?...

7. HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE FILES, LINKS, AND TABS ON YOUR COMPUTER?

Just like your schedule, how you track files and other information is very important. After all, everything is digital!...

8. HOW TO PRIORITIZE WORK?

The day I watched Marie Forleo's film separating the important from the urgent, my life changed. Not all remote jobs start fast, but most of them are...

9. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A MEETING AND PREPARE A MEETING? WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING DURING THE MEETING?

Just as communication is essential when working remotely, so is organization. Because you won't have those opportunities in the elevator or a casual conversation in the lunchroom, you should take advantage of the little time you have in a video or phone conference...

10. HOW DO YOU USE TECHNOLOGY ON A DAILY BASIS, IN YOUR WORK AND FOR YOUR PLEASURE?

This is a great question because it shows your comfort level with technology, which is very important for a remote worker because you will be working with technology over time...