Product Developer - Produce

at  Loblaw Companies Limited

Referred applicants should not apply directly to this role.
All referred applicants must first be submitted through Workday by a current Loblaw Colleague.
Come make your difference in communities across Canada, where authenticity, trust and making connections is valued – as we shape the future of Canadian retail, together. Our unique position as one of the country’s largest employers, coupled with our commitment to positively impact the lives of all Canadians, provides our colleagues a range of opportunities and experiences to help Canadians Live Life Well®.
At Loblaw Companies Limited, we succeed through collaboration and commitment and set a high bar for ourselves and those around us. Whether you are just starting your career, re-entering the workforce, or looking for a new job, this is where you belong.
All of our Loblaw control labels and brands make us proud because they follow our philosophy of taking something good and making it better – and that’s what our customers expect when they shop in our stores. It’s been true since the introduction of The Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookie, and it’s still true today, with our PC Blue Menu and PC Organics products.
We market our control label products in the food, health and beauty, apparel and general merchandise categories under brand names that include President’s Choice, PC, No Name, Blue Menu, Joe Fresh, PC Organics, Farmers Market, Life Brand and Exact.

ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Work closely with our team of experts to develop and test new and existing ingredients, develop and finalize recipes and pass the sensory approval process.
• Develop an understanding of current and future food and produce industry trends. Apply and share this knowledge in the development and planning process.
• Review product portfolio on an ongoing basis to ensure relevance and best quality in marketplace. As required take steps to optimize portfolio by addressing code date and product performance issues. Make recommendations through the product lifecycle process to optimize existing offering.
• Work with Product Manager to provide detailed briefs to vendors and clear product development targets and timelines. Work with vendors through all stages of the development process to ensure concept to execution (C2E) targets are met. Work with the Product Development team to ensure brand and project targets are being met and provide clear and directive feedback to vendor to ensure project remains on track and address sidebar concerns
• Attend plant trials and support first productions in order to optimize the product development process and take corrective actions to ensure products deliver to targets and understand variability of process and work with vendor to develop clear standards including targets and acceptable product ranges
• On-time management of critical Product Development control points related to project management and contribute to the total team on time delivery through collaboratively managing timelines and taking corrective actions to deliver the overall product plan, while ensuring product standard and targets are met
• Present new products to the Loblaw Brands Management team and to the broader organization to drive understanding of product concept and unique product attributes and overall product context/historical understanding
• Development of new product specifications and ensure appropriate process controls are in place for the ongoing delivery of product standards
• Regularly attend relevant trade shows and courses to continuously develop and remain current on latest trends and technology and functional developments in order to build category knowledge and address potential concept challenges

ROLE MANDATE:

With a passion for maintaining a distinct and memorable sensory experience for our customers. You will re-develop and test existing raw ingredients, finalize recipes and reap the rewards of seeing your unique creations on our store shelves.
This role is a key stakeholder in the innovation process. A strong Produce background is required as well as insight into global industry developments and food trends to deliver customer driven market leading innovation.
This role is responsible for the development of product including technical specification, formulation and sensory validation. Development is focused on supporting category objectives and leading consumer driven innovation into the market. This role works closely with Procurement, Vendors, Product Manager and Category Management to identify opportunities, direction and bring product concepts to life. Key to this role: Industry specific production and growing practices, the ability to define internal constraints and vendor capabilities and fundamental technical knowledge of produce. This role also is responsible for establishing specification standards for new products and ensuring that appropriate controls are in place to deliver those standards consistently to our customer.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS:

• Post-secondary university degree
• Minimum 5 years’ experience working in a Produce related Field
• Strong technical skills
• Excellent analytical skills, highly organized and abile to prioritize projects and tasks
• Advanced understanding and knowledge of product, manufacturing, packaging and testing applications
• Require basic knowledge of applicable government regulations related to produce
• Excellent oral/written communication skills, interpersonal skills and relationship management
• Work effectively as an individual with minimal supervision and as a team member
• Able to influence and interact effectively with all levels at retail/distribution, vendor and office locations
• Creative problem solving skills
• Straightforward practical way of thinking about things or dealing with problems
• Results oriented
• Travel will be required and will include local, national and international
  Our commitment to Sustainability and Social Impact is an essential part of the way we do business, and we focus our attention on areas where we can have the greatest impact. Our approach to sustainability and social impact is based on three pillars – Environment, Sourcing and Community – and we are constantly looking for ways to demonstrate leadership in these important areas. Our CORE Values – Care, Ownership, Respect and Excellence – guide all our decision-making and come to life through our Blue Culture. We offer our colleagues progressive careers, comprehensive training, flexibility, and other competitive benefits – these are some of the many reasons why we are one of Canada’s Top Employers, Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, Canada’s Greenest Employers & Canada’s Top Employers for Young People.
  If you are unsure whether your experience matches every requirement above, we encourage you to apply anyway. We are looking for varied perspectives which include diverse experiences that we can add to our team.
  We have a long-standing focus on diversity, equity and inclusion because we know it will make our company a better place to work and shop. We are committed to creating accessible environments for our colleagues, candidates and customers. Requests for accommodation due to a disability (which may be visible or invisible, temporary or permanent) can be made at any stage of application and employment. We encourage candidates to make their accommodation needs known so that we can provide equitable opportunities.