Scientific - Laboratory Technician Lv3

This position is located in Plymouth, MN at the Minneapolis R&D Center with the Starches and Sweeteners North America R&D group and is responsible for providing support to research scientists in the completion of research projects or activities. Candidate will also be responsible for conducting piloting trials in a food grade laboratory, routine analysis, reporting and communicating results. In addition, this person will be responsible for maintaining pilot plant equipment and ensuring EHS and Food safety compliance.

• Supports a core technology component area for the Starches and Sweeteners business as well as customers.
• Supports the research group in a given implementation of business defined technology needs.
• Serves as a piloting team resource in one or more broad core technology components:
  • Core Technologies (e.g. separations, fermentation, product safety, milling and grinding)
  • Enabling sciences (e.g. process modeling, toxicology, advanced analytics, sensory, nutrition, sensory, chemistry)
  • Ingredients/Product Lines (e.g. Sweeteners, Dextrose, Fat/Oils)
  • Food Applications (e.g. dairy, convenience, beverages)
  • Feed Applications (e.g. ruminants, pork, poultry, equine)

Principal Accountabilities:

• 20% - Provide support to research scientists in the completion of research projects or activities
• 55% - Conduct pilot Fermentation trials, routine experiments, microbiological plating, organizing and communicating results; may provide routine analysis as needed
• 10% - Maintain pilot/laboratory equipment
• 10% - Ensure corporate EHS and Food Safety compliance
• 5% - Perform miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned

Required:

• Associates Degree with interest in Engineering, Biology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Food Science or related Science field
• Excellent verbal and written communication, teamwork, collaboration, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to safety in the job environment
• Ability to work effectively and cooperatively in a team environment
• Ability to execute designed experiments as well as troubleshoot and make corrections during experimentation
• Microsoft Office suite

Preferred:

• Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Food Science or related Science field
• Experience conducting fermentations and overarching knowledge of fermentation biology
• 6 months to 3 yrs. experience in a food grade pilot plant environment
• Hands-on experience in microbiology sampling, sterile technique and/or fermentation principles and operation.
• Experience with downstream purification technologies, such as chromatography, separations (e.g., centrifugation, filtration, membrane separation), crystallization and evaporation