R&D Technician - Blue Buffalo

The Blue Buffalo Wet Applications team has an opening for an R&D Technician role supporting innovation, renovation and HMM projects across wet pet food products. As an R&D Technician, you are joining a team that is pursuing product and technology development to drive growth and competitive advantage in wet pet food. The role will encompass support of bench and pilot plant work to enable the commercialization of product launches. An ideal candidate for the role should have a strong curiosity to learn pet food processing, enjoy working with cross-functional teams, be comfortable in a dynamic and fast-paced environment, exhibit good organizational skills and communicate effectively. KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES Support the coordination and execution of experiments for Blue Buffalo wet pet food products from bench top to pilot scale manufacturing at the direction of others Assist with trial management including scheduling, ingredient/material procurement, setup, product manufacture, and finished product oversight Execute and document experiments, finished product testing and panels (in lab, pilot plant and plant) working with R&D developers and Shared Services support Build basic technical skills including product, process and packaging Provide management and oversight to lab spaces with flexibility to adopt other tasks where needed Agile, ability to flex across teams within a platform as work needs shift MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS 2-Year Degree or High School Degree w/3-5 years of directly relatable experience Basic computer/technology skills (Office Suite, other computer programs) Comfortable in processing (pilot plant or plant) environment; comfortable operating equipment Basic understanding of food safety and human safety Ability to complete work without frequent daily direction PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Previous work experience in a similar field (Food product development experience/Laboratory experience) Experience in meat or pet processing ideal; knowledge with thermal process/retort operation appreciated Effectively manage multiple competing priorities Ability to communicate effectively and contribute to a team environment Interpersonal ability to build relationships at all levels within the organization to advance your work Passionate around the creation of pet food, CPG industry, and consumer trends COMPANY OVERVIEW We exist to make food the world loves. But we do more than that. Our company is a place that prioritizes being a force for good, a place to expand learning, explore new perspectives and reimagine new possibilities, every day. We look for people who want to bring their best — bold thinkers with big hearts who challenge one other and grow together. Because becoming the undisputed leader in food means surrounding ourselves with people who are hungry for what’s next.