Project Leader

Ithaca, NY, USA

Full-time

Company Description

Eurofins Product Development & Innovation (EPDI), a business unit of Eurofins Scientific, is a leading contract research, development and innovation firm for food, beverage, ingredients, nutrition, and supplement industries. With locations in Ithaca, NY and Lafayette, CO, EPDI supports new product development on the bench top and then scaling to the pilot plant and finally commercial manufacturing. Our clients include global CPGs, ingredient suppliers, and entrepreneurial start-ups. We work closely with our clients, helping to define their project, and work as a team to execute and deliver quality results. We pride ourselves on our repeat clients.

Given EPDI’s business model, we work on multiple platforms, giving you the opportunity to learn new products and grow your skills. EPDI supports new product ideation and development across a wide range of platforms and process technologies. We work on ready to drink beverages in aseptic, retort and hot fill formats, nutrition bars of all types, snacks, meals, and confections. We support new ingredient research, evaluating applications and helping to understand how the ingredient functions and the best potential uses. These skills are also applied to the supplement industry in similar formats.

We work closely with Eurofins Scientific’s Food and Feed Testing division. Eurofins Scientific is an international life sciences company, providing a unique range of analytical testing services to clients across multiple industries, to make life and our environment safer, healthier and more sustainable. From the food you eat, to the water you drink, to the medicines you rely on, Eurofins laboratories work with the biggest companies in the world to ensure the products they supply are safe, their ingredients are authentic and labelling is accurate.

At EPDI, the range of new projects coming through the door provides a great opportunity for inquisitive minds to continue to grow and we look forward to the next 40 years.

Job Description

Position Summary

Project Leaders are well versed in all phases of the food product development cycle across multiple categories and technologies. They structure and manage research or development projects, interact effectively with clients, and possess business development skills to identify client needs, support new opportunities, and strengthen relationships. They manage and motivate project teams while ensuring client needs are met within the approved project scope.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

General

• Demonstrates and promotes the company vision

• Regular attendance and punctuality

• Applies GMP/GLP in all areas of responsibility, as appropriate

Project Management

• Uses project-planning documents/tools to direct the work of multiple projects

• Provides technical guidance and expertise on project experimentation, pilot plant scale-up, and commercial plant testing.

• Travels to clients or third parties as necessary.

• Develops and/or approves project plans, work orders, and scope change documentation.

• Reviews and edits reports, summaries, and emails as well as leads conference calls.

• Reviews and approves lab notebooks

• Tracks projects’ performance through interaction with clients, project teams and direct reports.

• Manages resource expenditures vs. project budgets, adjusts as necessary.

Client Management

• Acts as the primary interface with clients to maintain and strengthen relationships during active projects.

• Understands clients’ needs, establishes project deliverables, communicates progress against goals, provides appropriate visibility to budget vs. plan, and ensures client satisfaction.

• Supports strategies and tactics to maintain and strengthen relationships during and between projects.

• Shares key information with other business units to coordinate unified approach

• Travels to accounts as required to support meetings with key clients

Team Management

• Manages a group of up to 3 technical staff.

• Coordinates training programs per Company needs

• Interviews candidates to support recruitment

• Fosters professional development of direct reports, through coaching, encouragement, training and responsibility sharing.

• Works with direct reports to ensure that professional development goals are met.

• Executes YER’s of direct reports as well as contributing to YER’s of entire team

• Works with direct reports to ensure that professional development goals are met.

Communications

• Ensures appropriate and timely communication of key information (business planning, project, personnel, client, etc.) throughout the organization through periodic meetings as well as passive and active communication tools.

New Business Development

• Supports new client prospecting through pro-active and re-active programs.

• Develops strong referral network of clients, vendors, and contacts

• Leads pro-active innovation projects and activities

• Leads internal innovation projects

• Leads prospective clients visits and/or development of project initiation documents

Other

• Conducts all activities in a safe and efficient manner

• Performs other duties as assigned

Qualifications

Education/Experience (BMQ)

• Ph.D. from an IFT accredited food science program with 6 years of related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Experience in project management and supervision of professional technical personnel is required.

• Experience in full-cycle product development is required.

Supervisory Responsibility

The Project Leader has direct supervisory responsibilities for lab professionals, and indirect supervisory responsibilities for members of a team. Instructs and trains in work methods, assigns work, plans and schedules work, checks and approves work, conducts YER’s, tracks progress for professional development plans and implements corrective counseling or disciplinary actions.

Ability and/or Skills (BMQ)

• Must be trustworthy and discreet; can be entrusted with confidential information.

• Must be able to confidently communicate with clients regarding both business and technical needs.

• Must be able to redirect project in the client’s best interest

• Must demonstrate a strong sense of cooperation, providing support & guidance; empowers team members to excel in their ambitions, acknowledging team and individual accomplishments.

• Recognized and respected as an internal resource by peers. Utilizes education, job experience, and resources to independently direct the work of a team to undertake technical project challenges as they arise.

• Must be willing and flexible to shift resources, roles, and priorities as needed.

• Excellent interpersonal skills; must be a team player who is professional and presentable.

• Must have a high energy level with a hands-on approach; must have a strong interest in product development.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Must have ability to prepare clear and concise reports and presentations and confidently deliver them to the client.

• Strong and swift decision making skills are required; must be able to think in a strategic manner.

• Must be able to create spreadsheets, graphics, and reports using standard software applications.

• Must possess a valid driver license.

Other Factors

• Position requires work to be performed on site.

• Exposure to chemicals or other hazardous materials while working in a science laboratory.

• Regularly (25% of time) has to travel overnight, weekends, interstate or international where air travel is required.

• Occasionally lifts, moves, pushes, pulls or otherwise exert in the performance of the job up to 50 lbs. while using the appropriate lifting equipment and techniques.

• Must be able to work in an environment with a wide range of foods including potential allergenic foods.

• Must be able to work with both lab and pilot scale food processing machinery.

Additional Information

Compensation:

• $100,000-$140,000 salary

Schedule:

• 1st shift, 8:30am-5:00pm

What we offer:

• Excellent full time benefits including comprehensive medical coverage, dental, and vision options

• Life and disability insurance

• 401(k) with company match

• Paid vacation and holidays

Eurofins USA Food Testing is a Disabled and Veteran Equal Employment Opportunity employer.