Customer Solutions and Product Development Representative - Oils and Shortenings Food Applications

Stratas Foods LLC is the leading supplier of fats and oils to the Foodservice, Food Ingredients and Retail Private Label markets in North America and is a producer of quality bulk and packaged dressings, mayonnaise and sauces. Stratas Foods was formed in October 2008 as a 50/50 joint venture between ACH Food Companies (ACH) and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM).

Manufacturing facilities are located in Dallas and Houston, TX; Decatur and Quincy, IL; Englewood, NJ; Hillside, NJ; Fresno, CA; Nashville, TN; and Valdosta, GA.  Corporate offices are located in Memphis, TN.  We are committed to maintaining a progressive workplace by utilizing the ideas, skills and talents of all of our employees.  We strive to make Stratas Foods a great place to work and are building a team capable of meeting our business goals.

The Customer & Operations Support Representative role exists to provide support to the Research, Development, and Innovation strategy of unlocking operations process expertise and customer confidence in both the production and application use of our shortening, margarine and oils products.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The Customer & Operations Support Representative role is a mid-level Product Development position and provides three key deliverables:

• Leads or actively participates in more advanced product development initiatives, and
• Leads or actively participates in internal technical training sessions on critical attributes of shortening, margarines, and oils from a product quality and efficiency perspective as produced in one of our facilities.
• Leads or actively participates as a sales support representative in helping our customers utilize our products in the manufacture of their products with onsite support to their product development and operations team

Key responsibilities:  Overall Responsibility and Internal (e.g., Operations) & External (Customer) Customer and Operations Support Duties. Responsible for driving rigor behind safety policies and procedures within the pilot plant and delivering against RDI safety goals.

• Ensures all equipment is serviced and maintained via active leadership of the PM program.

1. Internal & External Technical Support & Service

• Provides proactive and reactive product development scale-up support at the Stratas Operational Facilities
• Participates in the development / execution of internal & external technical training sessions.
• Provides technical support as needed or assigned.
• Assists in trouble shooting and complaint resolution.

2. Product Improvements/Cost Savings – supports cost savings and/or enhanced performance projects as assigned

3. Competitive Audits – participates in periodic audits of competitive product, as assigned, to identify developmental gaps and product improvement opportunities.

4. Performs additional duties as assigned.

Education: BS Food Engineering / Science or related field or Associates and equivalent Industry Experience.

Related Experience: Minimum of 5 years Product Development and / or Operations experience

Equipment/Software Skills: Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook

Competencies

• Technical Skills – strong mechanical aptitude, solid food science expertise, strong command of ingredients/functionality.  Basic knowledge of fats & oils chemistry and processing.  Knowledge of experimental design.
• Judgment – decisive, exhibits sound and accurate judgment.
• Communication – displays good communication skills; verbal, active listening, and written.
• Problem Solving – leverages a proactive & creative approach to issues/roadblocks.  Develops realistic action plans with clearly identified risks and contingencies.

Physical: The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. The employee is required to travel (approximately 15-20% of the employee’s time).

Sensory: The employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is required to use hand and fingers, handle, and or feel and taste or smell. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

Mental/Reasoning: Ability to read, analyze and interpret the most complex documents. Ability to respond effectively to the most sensitive inquiries or complaints. Ability to make effective and persuasive speeches and presentations on controversial or complex topics to top management, public groups, and and/or board of directors. Ability to define problems, collects data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.

Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision

Stratas Foods is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any applicant or employee in any manner prohibited by law, including but not limited to, on the basis of race or color, religion, gender, age, genetic information, national origin/ancestry, mental or physical disability, family status/marital status, military/veteran status, and any other legally protected status.

Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision-The Employer will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the Employer’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

Stratas Foods Applicant Request for Accommodation Form: https://www.stratasfoods.com/compliance

Stratas Foods California Privacy Rights Act Policy: https://www.stratasfoods.com/compliance