Product Development Specialist

Job Description

Nestle Purina is a leader in the pet care industry, which means we’re not only ahead in volume, profit and market share, we’re at the forefront of innovative product development. Creating food for cats and dogs that heals joint pain and enhances cognitive function is a small ‘taste’ of what the faces behind our formulas are working on every day.

Our Product Specialists bring ideas to life for both our wet and dry factories. As part of the Technical Services group, you will create the flavors, shapes and textures often innovated in marketing and so enjoyed by pets. In this role, you’ll handle various intermediate-term product developments and engineering processes for the business, as well as provide technical support to manufacturing operations. You’ll leverage your sharp science background and food formulation experience to be able to effectively qualify new raw materials and suppliers. You will manage product formulas using the Nestle PURINA formulations system with appropriate ingredient, nutritional, regulatory and analytical requirements. You’ll identify and lead performance, waste reduction, and quality improvement projects to help us remain a leader on the shelf.

Buckle up, because you can expect to work on fast-paced, multi-functional teams focused on taking new products from conception to market. So, if your full potential could be unleashed, what would you add to the ‘mix’?

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manage development, scale up and implementation of new and existing technologies to improve the performance of existing products and develop new products
• Explore innovative applications of pet food product/process possibilities based on current state-of-art food technology
• Serve as technical resource for marketing to develop a robust pipeline of product development opportunities, which includes developing technical project plans and timelines for all assigned projects
• Support product formulation including appropriate ingredient, nutritional, regulatory and analytical requirements
• Act as ingredient lead for all assigned ingredients/raw materials, including qualification of new raw materials and suppliers
• Proactively monitor and provide product maintenance for assigned product responsibilities requiring standardized scientific procedures
• Initiate and implement cost reduction ideas for assigned product lines and factories

*Approximately 40% travel required (Current travel limited due to Covid-19)
**Perform all other duties as assigned.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS (Minimum):

• Bachelor’s degree in Meat/Food/Bakery/Grain Science or related scientific discipline and 1+ years of product development (food), formulation and scale-up experience

OR

• MS/PhD in Meat/Food/Bakery/Grain Science or related scientific discipline

It is our business imperative to remain a very inclusive workplace.

To our veterans and separated service members, you're at the forefront of our minds as we recruit top talent to join Nestlé Purina. The skills you've gained while serving our country, such as flexibility, agility, and leadership, are much like the skills that will make you successful in this role. We hope you'll consider sharing in our mission--you'll join a cohort of others who have chosen to call Nestlé Purina home.

The Nestlé Companies are equal employment and affirmative action employers and look for diversity in qualified candidates for employment.

Prior to the next step in the recruiting process, we welcome you to inform us confidentially if you may require any special accommodations in order to participate fully in our recruitment experience. Contact us [Register to View] notify of us of any needs related to completing the job application.