Senior Research Scientist, Plant Proteins

Primary Responsibilities/Essential Functions

· Lead the research on the next generation of sustainable, plant protein ingredients for application in food and beverage products.

· Develop new methods to extract protein fractions from various plant sources for food applications.

· Innovate new ways to produce protein ingredients while with a vision on value proposition – economics, functionality and taste.

· Generate valuable intellectual property to enrich LDC’s plant protein patent portfolio.

· Set up protein characterization platform to assess physio-chemical and functional properties of various protein fractions.

· Ensure all the methods are captured in SOPs and results are reported in quality and timely manner.

· Collaborate with the Engineering team to test and optimize protein down-stream processing methods at pilot plant scale.

· Collaborate with the Application team on plant-based product development and characterization.

· Set up and lead research collaborations with relevant external partners.

Additional Responsibilities Functions

· Lead by example in terms of research execution with attention to detail and ownership of project deliverables.

· Coach and mentor less experienced team members.

Education/Professional Certifications/Licenses

· PhD in protein chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics or related fields. MSc degrees will be considered given the evidence of PhD+ level of knowledge in the relevant areas.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities (including any physical demands)

· Minimum 5 years of working experience in a plant protein processing or relevant food and beverage ingredient manufacturing industry

· 8+ years of experience

· Experience in (plant) protein extraction

· Deep understanding of (plant) protein structures and functionality

· Experience in methods and equipment used to assess protein physicochemical and functional properties.

· Demonstrated ability to conceive original ideas, articulate them clearly and design experiments to test them.

· Experience in developing methods and operating LC-MS

· Experience in characterization of volatile and non-volatile flavor compounds is a plus.

· Ability and desire to work effectively in a team, leading and mentoring research associates, collaborating with fellow scientists and engineers, and setting an example of scientific excellence for the team.

· Experience in LIMS, NCBI tools is a plus.

· Written and verbal English language proficiency

Equipment Used

· Bench top protein extraction equipment, centrifuge, spray dryer, filtration, pasteurizer, SDS-Page, Lab Chip

· Typical office equipment: PC, printer/scanner.

Working Conditions

· 5 days onsite.

· Interacts closely with personnel in other departments and Company locations.

· Interacts closely with middle and senior management personnel.

· Extensions of regular working hours are occasionally necessary to complete time-sensitive projects or to respond to emergencies.

Employee Supervision

· Supervise research assistant and/or associate. Work closely with the research scientists and engineers across the function.

Decision Making/Accountability

· Day to day decisions on experiments and their design to meet project’s KPI.