Job Summary
We are looking for a Sr. Laboratory Technician II to join our Process R&D Probiotics, Cultures, Food Protection Team! The candidate selected will provide support for process development at the Madison and Rochester sites including troubleshooting, improvements, transfers of processes, and manufacturing data ownership. There will be an emphasis on routine laboratory tasks balanced with new product strain development and scale-up and improvement of yields, performance, and reduction of costs.
The IFF Nutrition & Biosciences plant located in Madison, Wisconsin, USA manufactures a variety of food products and ingredients used in everyday food items, many of them found in local grocery stores including: starter cultures used in the production of cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream; probiotic cultures used for their health promoting effects on the digestive system of humans and animals; and other food ingredients such as food antioxidants for food preservation and enzymes used in cheese manufacturing.
Essential Functions of this position include (but are not limited to):
- Perform routine laboratory tasks and experimental work as directed by immediate supervisor. For Process R&D, these tasks will include media making, basic microbiology associated with seed transfers, fermentation set up and inoculation, microscopic evaluation of cells, harvesting and downstream processing of fermentate, loading and unloading freeze dryer, measuring water activities, and plating and enumeration of cells.
- Support lab-scale development and implementation of cost-effective manufacturing conditions (formulation and process) impacting cell yield, stability, quality, or activity for selected microbial strains.
- Update and maintain data sets and laboratory batch tickets.
- Perform statistical analysis on culture performance and communicate performance trends.
- Investigate and support product deviations.
- Ensure accurate execution and implementation of lab work by designing experiments, conducting experiments/trials, analyzing results and reporting results.
- Coordinate/oversee the pilot-scale manufacturing of experimental products by working directly with the operators/supervisors and other Process R&D team members. This will be done through personal presence at the plant and working directly with operators/supervisors and writing reports summarizing results of the trial.
- Follow process data and product quality after industrialization. Evaluate and troubleshoot problems that may arise in improved processes.
- Support transfer of product from site to site and transfer of new processes/products from Process R&D to production in collaboration with Business, Operations, Quality, and R&D teams.
- Evaluate and troubleshoot problems that may arise in new processes or in established processes. Serve as a technical resource to the manufacturing facilities to provide input and direction on important product/process/quality issues and support continued product quality improvement. Participate in important "firefighting" efforts to quickly resolve problems, satisfy our customers, and maintain the business.
- Document results in lab notebooks and updating corresponding spreadsheets. Communicate results to supervisor and relevant team members.
- Flexibility to support occasional off-hour coverage including weekends.
A successful candidate will possess the following:
- Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree in microbiology, bioprocess, biotechnology, biochemistry, chemical/process engineering, or related degree with industry experience.
- Fundamental understanding of lactic acid bacteria physiology, freeze-drying technology, and microbial fermentations, as well as process equipment functioning (preferred)
- Strong communication (verbal and written), and organizational and interpersonal skills.
- A working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
- Ability to independently design, ambitiously carry-out, and report the results of scientific experiments.
- Familiarity with project management techniques, and Six Sigma Greenbelt tools, and data management/statistical software.
We are a global leader in taste, scent, and nutrition, offering our customers a broader range of natural solutions and accelerating our growth strategy. At IFF, we believe that your uniqueness unleashes our potential. We value the diverse mosaic of the ethnicity, national origin, race, age, sex, or veteran status. We strive for an inclusive workplace that allows each of our colleagues to bring their authentic self to work regardless of their religion, gender identity & expression, sexual orientation, or disability.
Visit IFF.com/careers/workplace-diversity-and-inclusion to learn more.
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