How You'll Have an Impact at Kinder's:

The Senior Food Technologist provides technical support for all product development activities for dry applications projects from exploratory/concept through commercialization. Emphasis on bench-top formulation and scale up for innovation, migration, and renovation projects, including product cuttings, plant trials, and appropriate documentation.
Key Responsibilities:

• With guidance, design and execute product development innovation, renovation, cost optimization and quality initiatives. Follow-through on product refinements based on PD, Marketing, and Customer feedback.
• Leverage vendor capabilities and co-packers to expand formulation possibilities, new ingredients, product technologies and to increase speed to market.
• In conjunction with Culinary Team, manage internal cuttings providing guidance on product development.
• Optimize product formulations based on consumer feedback, ingredient opportunities, nutritional guidelines, and cost constraints.
• Support new product launches including plant trials and initial production runs at contract manufacturers. Confirm specifications are met for product. With process engineer, confirm specs are met for package, and process. Coordinate logistics for plant trial unique raw materials and sample delivery/acquisition.
• Design and conduct shelf-life stability testing for new products.

What You Bring to the Table
Skills and Experience

• BS Degree in Food Science, Chemical Engineering, or a similar discipline
• 3-5 years food industry experience.
• Knowledge of food manufacturing, formulation and ingredient functionality for sauces.
• Working knowledge of food safety and microbiology.
• Familiarity with packaging technology to evaluate adequacy of packaging.
• Working knowledge of food labeling regulations.
• Familiarity with sensory evaluation procedures.
• Excellent time management skills, sense of urgency, and desire to complete all assignments on a timely basis.
• Must be able to travel up to 30% of the time.

Personal Characteristics

• Growth mindset with an excitement to learn (and teach).
• Passionate people-lover excited by the opportunity to build strong relationships with teammates and consumers.
• Low ego with a strong sense of humility.
• Thrive in a dynamic, lean, and agile environment.
• Collaborative mindset with an ability to find creative solutions.
• Self-starter who takes initiative and is willing to speak their mind.
• Excited to be part of a fast-moving team with the ability to be a leader and a follower where required.
• Enjoy making decisions and finding ways to say 'yes' as often as possible to impactful and important priorities.

Location & Pay Transparency

This position will be based onsite in Walnut Creek, CA. Travel will be required up to 30%. The expected starting salary range for this role is $115,000-$125,000 per year. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range based on the location of the role. The amount a particular employee will earn within the salary range will be based on factors such as relevant education, qualifications, performance, and business needs.

SEASONED FOR SUCCESS:

• No two days here are the same.
• We try to be good team members and good communicators, but we don't live by hierarchy and structure - everyone is a difference maker here.
• We make a lot of decisions in the face of incomplete information - our team embraces ambiguity and tries to make good decisions fast rather than great decisions slow.
• We believe our job is to take smart risk, not to eliminate risk.
• We believe in growing our skills and becoming a better company with more managerial expertise, but we are an entrepreneurial company at heart.
• We aren't trying to be average - we want to do exceptional things, and we are willing to work hard to achieve them.

BENEFITS THAT BRING MORE TO THE TABLE:

We offer a range of total rewards that may include paid time off, 401k, bonus / incentive eligibility, equity grants, competitive health benefits, and other family-friendly benefits, including parental leave. Kinder's benefits vary based on eligibility and can be reviewed in more detail during the interview process.

OUR RECIPE FOR BALANCE:

We believe great culture starts with people. We're a people-first company built on connection, collaboration, and balance. Most of our work happens in the office to spark creativity and community, but we also offer flexibility so team members have the autonomy to work outside the office when needed to support their work-life balance and personal commitments.