R&D Specialist

at  Irca Group

IRCA is a leading international provider of semi-finished ingredients for the bakery, pastry and gelato markets, serving independent producers as well as large food manufacturers (e.g. CPG). Core products include chocolate, chocolate decorations, creams, pastry mixes, gelato ingredients, and other bakery / pastry ingredients.
The Company, headquartered in Italy, was acquired by Advent International, the global Private Equity firm, in July 2022, and has a strong track record of growth over the last decade.
Thanks to the recent acquisitions of important players in the belonging market, IRCA is becoming a global leader in the semi-finished ingredients industry, with 22 manufacturing facilities in Europe, US and Vietnam and a combined €1 billion of revenues.
Cesarin, based in Verona, realizes mostly candied and semi-candied fruit, jams, marmalades and stabilized plants.

DESCRIPTION OF MAIN ACTIVITIES/RESPONSABILITIES

• Create new products by establishing their formulation and production system, identifying the most suitable technology and technique
• Interface with the purchasing department for scheduling the arrival of the ingredients and materials needed to create the new formulations
• Verify the quality standard of new and reformulated products, through chemical-physical and organoleptic and product stability analyzes
• Making samples of the new product
• Carry out, in collaboration with the production manager, the pilot test of the new products and subsequently follow the industrialization phase
• Improve existing products in response to requests from the R&D Team, operating in line with the integrated quality, food safety and environment system
• Interfacing daily with the Purchasing function, Sales Manager and Production Manager
• Manage reporting and data entry into the system

EDUCATION:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Food Science and Technology

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS:

• Knowledge of tools present in the food analysis laboratory.
• Knowledge of chemistry and food components

EXPERIENCE:

• 4/5 years of experience in the role, preferably in the food industry ideally with fruits and vegetables

SOFT SKILLS:

• Excellent analytical skills
• Predisposition for autonomous management and organization of work
• Good communication and relationship skills
• Analytical and time optimization skills
• Ability to work in a dynamic context

Ensure the R&D activities in the entire process of new product development from the definition of the recipe up to the production on industrial scale.