R&d Specialist

**Do you have the appetite to Grow Your Magic?**

Consumers everywhere are increasingly conscious of the quality of the food they eat. Puratos develops, produces and distributes a unique range of ingredients for bakers, pastry-chefs and chocolatiers who demand the very highest quality.

Founded in Belgium in 1919, Puratos is growing rapidly with over 9000 employees in 75 countries, with a consolidated turnover of over €2 billion. Our passion for innovation, pioneering spirit and core values continue to propel our global ambitions. This coupled with our commitment to our communities is what makes working at Puratos so magical.

**R&D Specialist (Fillings & Decor)
- 15 months contract**

**(Mississauga, ON)**

Reporting to the R&D Manager, the R&D Specialist will lead the local research of fruit and cream fillings and Decors in collaboration with other commercial cross-functions
- **Mission**

Lead local research, development and/or adaptation of Fruit, Cream and Decors in the Company in order to contribute to the business growth and operational efficiency. Provide expertise and assistance to ensure optimal design, product and process parameters to ensure smooth scale up of products.

**Mandate**
- Responsible for food safety, integrity, legality and quality
- Comply with all local and national food safety and legal requirements
- Perform all job responsibilities under the strictest guidelines of food safety standards
- **Key tasks**

**1) Development of new products and concepts**
- Lead the development of products in line with business development and market needs and in-line with the group innovation plan through active participation in Go/NoGo and stage-gate processes
- Use initiative to lead and recommend business opportunities based on market trends, R&D innovations and customer needs
- Develop tailor-made customer products aligned with business development guidelines and state-gate process.
- Ensure complete documentation on raw materials, formulations, process parameters, item requests, QC tests, labelling TDS on new or revised products
- Maintain good IP practices and ensure confidentiality on formulas and know-how
- Home working location is Mississauga site but the role will support Fraser Valley as needed

**2) Adaptation of existing formulas**
- Cost reduction and productivity programs whilst maintaining performance, including raw material rationalization
- Align with Regulatory affairs and Marketing to define cleaner label opportunities and regulatory guided formula transitions
- Pro-actively propose optimization of existing portfolios (SKU reduction, positioning, etc.,)

**3) Business Development support to Sales for above mentioned product categories by**:

- Identifying new business opportunities at large customers (prospecting)
- Detecting products at risk and proposing solutions
- Making internal and external presentation and seminars explaining benefits of our products
- Provide customers with technical support and troubleshooting at the plant level in order to ensure the performance of products
- Participate in strategic exercises, intending to develop our business in the above-mentioned products. This should be based on a good understanding of the local market.

**3) Commissioning of new products**
- Assess equipment and process needs and resources for new products; collaborate with product developers in scale up of new formulas and processes
- Conduct pre-trial and production discussions with production, quality and planning to lay out trial plan and resource needs
- Collaborate with operations for training of key operators, supervisors and quality control technicians
- Support documentation within SAP and specification systems
- Identify opportunities for efficiency and process improvements; collaborate with Operations to realize them.
- Collaborate with group and local engineering in assessing new technologies and equipment.
- Support commissioning of new production and packaging lines through qualification and verification by designing appropriate test plan and quality targets.

**4) Support Operations and TQM**:

- Support quality issues by providing R&D expertise: root-cause analysis and rework/recuperation recommendations
- Review on a yearly base with QA/QC the non-conformities and look for optimizations

**5) Build expertise & network in specialty area**
- Grow expertise in the product range through training and field experience.
- Ensure a functional link with the BU specialists at Headquarters
- Build an active network of high commercial value of customers, machine suppliers, researchers, vendors and the international Puratos R&D community
- Provide intelligence on innovative raw materials & technologies that can differentiate our products

**6) Pilot Equipment**
- Assure premium performances of the R&D Fillings & Decors pilot equipment through standardized process and upkeep of pilot equipment
- Make recommendations of upgrades or new technologies for pilot equipment and man