Research Scientist, Analytical Science

Research Scientist, Analytical Science

ROLE DESCRIPTION

This Research Scientist will serve as an analytical scientist in the Analytical group, Global R&D. Global R&D is located at the Tate & Lyle facility in Hoffman Estates, IL (near Chicago). The team is currently composed of a diverse group of experienced scientists with skills in chromatography, spectroscopy, materials science, molecular biology, and chemical analysis.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

The Research Scientist will be engaged in planning and executing laboratory work to characterize samples, and planning project resources, acting as a key technical contributor on projects/experiments/research. The Research Scientist will determine and execute technical approaches required to meet desired objectives. The Research Scientist will also be expected to engage with internal and external resources to advance technical product development and to provide technical expertise to support existing business in relevant areas. They will develop solutions to complex analytical problems that required the regular use of innovation and creativity in identifying and trying new and different approaches. The Research Scientist will engage with R&D, Quality, Regulatory, Global Application teams to ensure analytical work is in accordance with internal processes & metrics and will be responsible for delivery of the analytical work packages against project timelines. The Research Scientist will help with capability builds in material science, physiochemistry, and chemistry testing to evaluate the physical and chemical properties of a food ingredient substance or solution to drive successful use of current or new techniques and advance new food product development. Deep understanding and expertise in chromatography, wet chemistry, material science, and various bioanalytical instruments are necessary.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

The successful candidate will have a Bachelor's degree in Material Science, Polymer Science, Food Science, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Pharmaceutics, or related disciplines with 5+ year industrial experience, a Master’s degree with 3+ years of industrial experience, or a Ph.D. degree.

The ideal candidate should possess deep knowledge, including the ability to develop and validate new methods for finished products and potentially in-process measurements, in following areas:

• Expertise in material science instruments such as rheometers, differential scanning calorimeters, dynamic vapor sorption analysers, thermogravimetric analysers, and particle size analysers.
• Expertise in compositional analysis for fat, moisture, protein, ash, etc.
• Experience with separation sciences and techniques such as HPLC, GC, IC, mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS, MALDI-TOF, LC-QqQ, etc.), ICP, CE, and bioanalytical testing.
• Experience with method development/validation and instrument troubleshooting in above areas.
• Experience with food ingredient manufacture, bioengineering, bioconversion, and/or related areas.
• Previous experience in presenting scientific observations to other stakeholders via oral presentations, conference posters, peer-reviewed papers, patent, etc.

The following would also be beneficial to the candidate:

• Experience with data science, machine learning, statistical analysis, and related programming language (e.g. R or Python) for predictive modelling, Design of Experiments, bioinformatics, and chemometrics.
• Experience with biological testing including SDS-PAGE, next-generation sequencing, PCR. bioinformatics, etc.
• Experience with NIR spectrometers, FTIR spectrometers, UV-Vis spectrometers, NMR instruments, and spectral interpretation.
• Experience with various LIMS and instrument software to perform data entry, analysis, visualization, and interpretation.
• Experience in working within cGMP, GLP, ISO 17025, or other regulated lab environment.
• Experience with regulatory (e.g. for GRAS and EFSA) testing.

COMPETENCIES AND CHARACTERISTICS

• Safety – An exhibited dedication to safety and commitment to making safety the number one priority.
• Drive – Need to be passionate about his/her work, with a high energy level, strong work ethic, and internal drive for organizational and individual success. 
• Execution – Demonstrated ability to complete assignments, meeting quality- and time-oriented objectives.  
• Problem-Solving – Possesses excellent problem-solving skills and should be able to evaluate root causes, and take a systematic, structured view of projects/situations.
• Innovation - Demonstrated creativity, innovation, and ability to problem-solve. 
• Teamwork – Excellent team-work skills, including an ability to work with diverse teams of people with multiple perspectives and talents, capable of functioning as individual contributor or team leader.
• Communication – Excellent communication and listening skills:  should be articulate, with the ability to make arguments in a compelling manner at all organizational levels.
• Customer-Orientation – Customer-centric approach, be they internal or external customers.  Ability to conduct voice-of-customer interviews with customers to elicit insight on product development needs and product requirements.

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California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA")

The Company is committed to complying with the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) and all data privacy and laws in the jurisdictions in which it recruits and hires employees. We collect the following categories of personal information for the purpose of hiring the best qualified applicants and to comply with applicable employment laws: Name and contact information; Job preference and work availability; Social Security Number and/or other identification information; Education and qualifications; Employment history and experience; Military service; Reference and background check information, including relevant criminal history and credit history; Social media information; Pre-employment test results; Post-offer medical examination information and results, including drug test results; Voluntary self-disclosure information regarding minority, veteran, and disability status; and Information provided by you during the hiring process.

Tate & Lyle is an equal opportunity employer, committed to the strength of an inclusive workforce.