Smithfield Foods

Principal Scientist, Technical Services

Smithfield Foods$140K — $182K *
Food & Beverages
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Meat Science, or related field with 12+ years of food industry experience, preferably in meat.
  • 5+ years of leadership experience with team mentorship.
  • Strong comprehension of meat packing processes to address complex challenges.
  • Proficient writing, interpersonal, and communication skills.
  • Skilled in organizational and time management to ensure timely project delivery.
  • Ability to collaborate effectively in a fast-paced environment.
  • Strong relationship-building and teamwork capabilities.

Responsibilities

  • Focus on achieving operational excellence and continuous improvement in manufacturing plants.
  • Travel up to 80% to meet with business partners for technical support.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify operational improvement needs.
  • Develop and execute research plans with production-scale tests to meet set objectives.
  • Proactively prevent process or product failures through effective measures.
  • Establish training materials and job aids for the operational framework of On the Job Trainers (OJT).
  • Design and conduct experiments, present findings, and provide feedback to multiple stakeholders.

Benefits

  • Relocation package available.
  • Access to a comprehensive total rewards package.
  • Opportunities for professional growth and mentorship.
  • Supportive work environment that values teamwork and collaboration.
Full Job Description
If you are currently employed at Smithfield, please log into Workday and submit your application through the Jobs Hub.

Your Opportunity

Are you an ambitious, enthusiastic leader with a desire to drive to the green in achieving goals and producing good food, responsibly for families across America? If so, then join one of the country's top consumer packaged goods companies, Smithfield Foods! This leadership role in technical services will focus on product and process improvements to deliver improvements across our manufacturing platforms. Responsibilities include providing technical support to our business partners, direct interaction with customer, leveraging vendors, and mentorship.

Responsibilities

Product and Process Improvements
  • Primary focus will be within the plants to achieve operational excellence and continuous improvements
  • Travel up to 80% of the time to meet with business partners
  • Work with cross functional groups to identify operational needs pertaining to operational excellence: safety, cost, quality, customer service, production efficiencies, etc.
  • Develop and execute research plans by conducting production scale tests at manufacturing plants to achieve specific goals and objectives

Prevent Process Deviations and Quality Failures
  • Proactively work to prevent process or product failures
  • Work within our operational framework of On the Job Trainers (OJT) to establish job aids and training documents
  • Develop plans within our operational framework of MIQ to establish process controls

Project Progress Updates and Feedback
  • You will also be responsible for designing and conducting experiments, analyzing data, writing protocols and summaries, and presenting your findings and recommendations to executive leadership
  • Regularly present progress updates to members of Technical Services, Operations, Sales, Marketing, and Quality Assurance
  • Communicate with external parties such as customers, vendors, and third parties

Leadership and Mentorship
  • Drive organizational capability by developing, nurturing, leading and mentoring junior team members.
  • Help identifying emerging leaders, driving investments in new talent, and ensuring high levels of employee engagement across the group
  • Stay up-to-date on the latest advances in food science and technology
  • Provide leadership and mentorship to individuals within organization

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. May perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions.
  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university in Food Science, Meat Science, or related field and 12+ years of experience in the food industry; preference towards meat; or equivalent combination of education and experience, required.
  • 5+ years' experience in a position of leadership to include working in teams and mentorship
  • Solid understanding of end-to-end processes of meat packing to solve complex problems and develop innovative solutions
  • Excellent writing, interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal)
  • Demonstrate organizational, time management, and multi-tasking skills to manage and deliver projects on time
  • Work well with others in fast paced, dynamic environment
  • Ability to be respectful, approachable and team oriented while building strong working relationships and a positive work environment


Work Environment & Physical Demands
  • On a regular basis required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms.
  • Occasionally required to stoop and crouch under equipment.
  • Lift and/or move up to 50 pound or more in some
  • The plant environment will include wet or humid conditions (non-weather related), extreme cold and heat (non-weather related), working near moving mechanical parts, exposure to fumes or airborne particles, and chemicals.
The expected pay range for this position is $140,000 - $182,500 annually.
Smithfield Foods provides pay ranges that reflect its good faith estimate of the salary or hourly wage the company reasonably expects to pay for a position at the time of hire. Individual compensation will be determined based on several factors, including but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the role, location of the position, the candidate's qualifications and experience, internal equity, external market pay for comparable positions and budget considerations. At Smithfield Foods, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive total rewards package. Learn more about our benefits package here.
Relocation Package AvailableYes

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a meat processing company that produces and markets a variety of fresh and packaged meats. The company was founded in 1936 and is headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia. Smithfield Foods operates in the United States and internationally, and its products are sold under a number of well-known brands. The company is committed to sustainability and has implemented a number of initiatives to reduce its environmental impact. Smithfield Foods is a subsidiary of WH Group, a Chinese meat processing company.
Learn more about Smithfield Foods
Size
54,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1936

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