Job Location: Chicago

Company description

Ferrero is a family-owned company with a truly progressive and global outlook and iconic brands such as Nutella®, Tic Tac®, Ferrero Rocher®, Raffaello®, Kinder Bueno® and Kinder Surprise®. As the love for our brands continues to grow, so too does our global reach. Represented in more than 50 countries, with products sold in more than 170, the Ferrero Group is loved by generations around the world. The secret to our global success? 38,767 dedicated employees who celebrate care and quality to craft a business, careers and brands we are proud of. Join us, and you could be one of them.

Diversity Statement

Ferrero is committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture in which all employees feel welcomed and appreciated and have the same opportunities. We believe all of our people are equally talented in their own way. In nurturing the curiosity and natural abilities of our employees, we provide them, generation after generation, the means to succeed personally and professionally, enabling them to craft their journey at Ferrero. The diversity of our talents is what makes our work environment multicultural, innovative and highly rewarding.

Ferrero N.A. provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics.

About the Role:

The Cookies & Chocolate Laboratory Operator will coordinate and lead the diverse daily R&D laboratory scale activities to support the Cookies & Chocolates Category in the lab scale product formulation development of new and innovative Cookies, Chocolates, Cones & Pie Crusts products for Ferrero North America.

Main Responsibilities:

At R&D Laboratory:

• Under manager supervision and alignment ensure on time and efficient execution of all research & development benchtop & laboratory activities, tests in accordance with the marketing brief, evolution of the legislation, ensuring analytical and interpretative reliability to protect the consumer.
• Proactively execute & propose innovative solutions aimed at developing, renovating and improving product related aspects (product design & formulation, quality, technology, sensorial, shelf life, etc.).
• Perform activities to revise, in the critical phase, the diverse type of raw materials and semi-finished products of the category of competence, new and already used in the Company in order to improve the organoleptic and structure of the product and possibly reduce the costs of procurement and processing.
• Support the effective management of ingredient and warehouse inventory management, preventive equipment maintenance, documentation, cleaning and sanitization of equipment, and ensuring lab safety and GMPs.
• Ensure laboratory analysis, tests and research in projects aimed at controlling and improving products, supporting the related decision-making process.
• Prepare the diverse analysis of products developed by our competitors, within and outside the core category.
• Prepares the sampling required for tastings, sensory analysis, taste tests, supporting the related business decision-making process.
• Supports the operation of existing and potential new laboratory equipment; evaluates the advantages related to their use, in order to propose alternative solutions.
  

Who we are looking for:

• Minimum of 3-5 years of proven experience in bakery, pastry, chocolate & chocolate application and confidence with proven ability to produce at benchtop level cookies and handling chocolate from ingredient scaling, mixing, weighing, baking, chocolate application, and packaging
• Skilled at work in a fast-paced environment with self-prioritization of workload and understanding of changing timelines and project needs
• Experience in understanding of Ingredient functionality and familiarity with industrial food operations.
• Result oriented with strong passion for creativity and innovation within a complex driven environment.
• Dynamic, flexible, proactive approach and ability to work high pressure situations and strict deadlines.
• Strives for high standards, seeks innovative solutions, drives continuous improvement of ingredients, semi-finished & finish products, processes and demonstrates a high degree of attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal skills with ability to influence with integrity through persuasive communication to win support at more senior levels within R&D and other cross functional areas
  

How to be successful in the role and at Ferrero:

Consumers, quality and care are at the heart of everything we do. So, to be successful at Ferrero, you’ll need to be just as consumer and product centric as we are - dedicated to crafting brilliant results for consumers around the world.

Strong analytical mind, attention to details on one hand, and ability to cooperate with employees at all levels and great organisational skills on the other, would be key to success. Employee contribution and engagement at Ferrero is based on the individual, team and organisation dimension, so you should have the ability to work independently, as a part of the team and build good relations with stakeholders at all levels. Being flexible and dealing with a dynamic working environment as well as the ability to embed new knowledge and skills in existing competencies will definitely help you to become high performer here.