job opportunity at Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate Global

 Senior Sensory Expert position at Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate Global, Netherlands-NH-Wormer

Are you a Sensory Expert that’s looking for the next step in your career? Do you want to work for one of the world’s leading Cocoa and Chocolate businesses? Where you can really make an impact? Where you can create, define and execute your own global sensory strategy and program? Then this might be the dream job for you!

Cargill is a unique place to grow your career, your experience and your abilities. Every day, we grow our reputation as a leading international producer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services. We take pride in our global reach, ability to contribute, and strong work ethics and values. Founded in 1865, Cargill is a privately held company and employs 150,000 people in 70 countries. Through innovation, creativity and teamwork, we are transforming entire markets and people’s lives worldwide, and we can have the same impact on your career.

Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate offers the food industry a wide range of both standard and customized cocoa and chocolate ingredients to be used in delicious bakery, confectionery and dairy applications all over the world. This with a team of 3,500 passionate cocoa and chocolate experts in working in 47 locations Together, we provide unique knowledge, insights and ideas service across five continents, built on a foundation of 150 years of experience

Job Purpose:

Within the Product and Process Development department new products and processes are developed and research is done to enlarge the knowledge in the broadest sense of the word on cocoa, chocolate and coatings & fillings.

Within this group a new position for senior sensory expert is created.

The senior sensory expert builds, aligns & communicates sensory capability across Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate (CCC). The sensory expert will provide key technical sensory support to a growing set of projects that require profound knowledge of sensory.

The main objective is to build sensory capabilities and be much more vocal about our sensory capabilities as taste leader, understanding the sensory profile of our products and consumer preferences.

 

This is a key technical leadership position in sensory technology working closely with Technical Service, Marketing, Product Line Management and FSQR within the CCC business and closely with other sensory experts within Cargill. The scope of the role is global, meaning close interaction with all regions (EU, NA, LATAM, APAC and METNA). An in-depth knowledge of advanced sensory evaluation techniques including but not limited to consumer and difference testing focus groups, descriptive analysis, along with statistical sensory data analysis will be key for this role. He/she also supports the local sensory tags.

 

Your Principal Accountabilities:

  • Responsible for defining and executing the sensory strategy and program to build sensory competences in line with the innovation and technology roadmaps
  • Directly contributes to the CCC’s innovation pipeline with ideas for the conversion of scientific and sensory insight as well as to the growth of distinctive product/process/applications offerings
  • Align with Strategy & Innovation and R&D team to deliver sensory results that enable the business to succeed, create opportunities from scratch, building on the needs of internal and external customers
  • Apply sensory expertise to product and process development, to quality control teams by using appropriate sensory methodologies (consumer panels, focus groups, difference panels, descriptive analysis, shelf life testing)
  • Effectively manages complex sensory projects concerning time and resource management to meet internal and external customer expectations, including overseeing the link with other projects
  • Understand the latest sensory methods, including analytical sensory research and sensory methodologies, and bring new ideas forward to the CCC business
  • Identify innovative new approaches related to sensory science, sensory analytics, statistical analysis, product and ingredient development
  • Setup and improving the CCC sensory program, sensory research and current sensory testing capabilities
  • Manage external sensory services and research
  • Support and advice in recruitment and maintenance of all trained CCC taste panels
  • Pro-actively advice FSQR teams to develop effective sensory programs
  • Pro-actively advice Marketing teams to develop sensory communication
  • Draws upon in-depth sensory knowledge to leverage and to support R&D innovation growth by partnering with businesses and with key corporate enterprise/strategic customers as well with technology partners (commercial and marketing/sales groups, universities, R&D organizations, industry forums, etc.) to identify emerging trends and needs
  • Working closely together with both (international) colleagues of Technical Services, Operations, FSQR, Engineering, Sales & Marketing and research institutes/suppliers

Required Qualifications

  • Advanced academic degree (MSc. and/or PhD) in sensory science or consumer science or equivalent experience (Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, etc.)
  • Experience (10+ years) in food industry
  • Demonstrated ability to influence and lead sensory projects
  • Strong drive and entrepreneurship to build sensory expertise and implement sensory capabilities in the CCC business
  • Strong analytical and statistical thinking capabilities. Ability to understand and interpret qualitative and quantitative sensory data and statistical analysis
  • Sound communication skills at all levels within the company, including stakeholder management
  • Excellent verbal, communication, prioritization, report writing and presentation skills. Including the ability to communicate technical and sensory details to wide array of people and project teams
  • Innovative mind set and proactive approach
  • Ability to travel up to 20%
  • Fluent in English both spoken and written

Preferred Qualifications

  • Relevant work experience in cocoa and chocolate industry is an advantage
  • Experience in designing, executing and interpreting consumer panels
  • Experience in recruiting, training and managing descriptive panel
  • Experience in using sensory data collection software (e.g. EyeQuestion)
  • Experience working with third party testing agencies
  • Experience in focus groups, one on one interviews, concept testing, turf analyses, conjoint analyses
  • Experience in using statistical software to analyse sensory data (e.g. Minitab)
  • Project Management experience
  • Affinity with production processes is a clear advantage

Apply now: https://www.cargill.com/job-detail?job=WOR00367&country=Netherlands

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