Bakery Science Leader

Title
Bakery Science Leader

Location
McCalla, AL

Reports To
Plant Engineer

Come help us startup a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant producing everyone’s favorite peanut butter & jelly sandwich, Uncrustables.

In this role, you will be able to lead and contribute in meaningful ways at our new McCalla, AL facility. This person will have responsibility for the Bakery Area of the plant. This role is responsible for providing technical leadership and enhance overall productivity, safety and quality by collaborating with production teams and leadership.

If you are looking to leverage your skills in a facility that hosts opportunities for career growth, this role is for you!

• Our Total Reward benefits program – includes competitive health and financial benefits that reflect your needs at different life stages, effective day 1 and a continued commitment to empower flexible work schedule when possible.
• Continuous opportunities to learn, grow and develop – beyond functional job-based education, we promote well-rounded development and encourage a spirit of continuous learning as part of our commitment to help you realize your professional goals.
• Our continued progress on the journey to become the inclusive and diverse organization we expect to be supporting equity across our communities. We firmly believe that an inclusive environment and diverse organization strengthens our Company and enables every employee to reach their full potential.

• Responsible for the manufacture of consumer foods which comply with all Food Safety, Quality, and regulatory requirements. Understanding and supporting The J.M. Smucker, McCalla Safety Program policies and performing work related activities in a safe manner. Recognizing unsafe work conditions and suggesting new safety standards as appropriate
• Model the Basic Beliefs and Our Commitment to Each Other
• Support and provide guidance to operations/engineering organizations on: improving existing operations, troubleshooting of major problems, cost-savings ideas, and evaluation of new production opportunities
• Partner with Department Manager in developing and delivering business master plan, including key technical and organizational projects.
• Develop the capability of technicians and managers at the site to understand the baking process flow, inputs and outputs, control variables, and basic baking troubleshooting
• Drive high-performance work culture by engaging with team members on the floor and coaching to problem solve, make decisions, and become self-reliant
• Leverage High-Performance Organizational principles to develop leadership skills in individuals and the Bakery teams
• Develop an expert level understanding of the equipment, process and materials used to run a high-volume bakery; provide technical support to the bakery department
• Drive out defects in the process and enhance overall productivity, safety and quality by collaborating with production teams and leadership
• Develop and improve process documentation
• Manage crop year flour variations effectively
• Responsible for a bakery lab and the evaluation of ingredients, optimization of formulas for quality, performance, consumer-liking and profitability
• Act as a technical leader within cross functional teams to deliver initiatives and departmental projects
• Identify and implement cost and process improvement projects necessary to run a stable, efficient operation; may lead multiple projects/initiatives simultaneously
• Work with R&D to create and improve formulations based on consumer and marketing feedback and/or sensory results
• Build and leverage strong internal/external network to gain insight, influence and information regarding the bread industry
• Develop strong relationships with Corporate R&D, Other Production Sites, Marketing, Engineering and external vendors
• Help organization stay current with applicable new technologies, ingredients, product trends, and competitive activities
• Assist in executing plant start up Commissioning, Qualification, and Verification (CQV) activities for plant start-up.
• Other tasks as required

• A Bachelor’s degree is required, a Bread or Bakery Science degree is highly preferred
• Minimum of 2 years of food manufacturing operational experience is preferred
• Experience in sensory training, culinary, recipe development, and tolerance testing
• Ability to effectively engage, lead, and build capability on the floor
• Ability to work and influence within a team environment
• Effectively works across organization boundaries and with diverse teams
• Strong analytical troubleshooting, problem-solving, and root cause identification skills
• Decisive, proactive, and strategic in decision making
• Self-motivated, organized, and able to learn new skills/technologies quickly
• Initiative and follow thru – demonstrated ability to receive given basic coaching/direction and execute work assigned in an accurate and timely manner
• Time management/prioritization – demonstrated ability to manage several tasks at a time thru to completion and meet the needs of multiple customers
• Proven project management skills and technical problem-solving capability
• Excellent presentation, written, and verbal communication skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Suite applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook)
• Highly motivated individual with excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Open to managing operating teams as needed (as backup or future assignment)
• Some travel will be required for plant start up
• Willingness to work a flexible schedule that most effectively supports the organization
• Ability to work off-shifts or weekends as needed

• Our Total Rewards Benefits Program
• Our Thriving Together Philosophy Supporting All Impacted by Our Business
• Our Continued Progress on Inclusion, Diversity and Equity