Senior Food Scientist - Chocolate

Who We Are

We’re a food company using sustainable ingredients and thoughtful food science to replicate our favorite foods in ways that make them more affordable, less harmful, and really, truly just as delicious. We believe that in our best future, the best foods - the ones we love the most - will not just be earth-friendly, but also easy to afford and hard to resist.

We’ve taken some of your favorite foods – think peanut butter, coffee & chocolate – and recreated them using upcycled ingredients and innovative food science. From food allergies to climate change and unjust labor practices, the foods you love are in serious need of an upgrade. Our Nut-Free Spreads, Bean-Free Coffee & Cocoa-Free Chocolate are top 9 allergen-free, vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, affordable and most importantly, utterly delicious.

Earlier this year, we were proud to announce our global B2B partnership with Cargill and our $52 million Series A+ raise, in a round co-led by Level One Fund and Horizons Ventures, bringing our total funding raised to over $94 million. This funding is earmarked for hiring additional headcount, meeting greater than anticipated consumer and commercial demand, funding expanded manufacturing facilities, and building out our foodservice channel. It is a great time to join us on our voyage!

How We Work

We’re a rapidly growing team who value diversity in all its forms. We love adding new perspectives and appreciate those who ask questions that help us challenge assumptions, explore new directions, bias towards action, and improve what we’ve already built. We are a group of like-minded difference makers. Curiosity drives our development. We have tenacity and a risk-taking mentality at every level of our organization to keep challenging normalcy. We believe it’s our responsibility to create an environment in which every person can bring their full, authentic selves to work. We push each other to be our best and make every stakeholder  proud. Read more about us by visiting our careers page, learn more about our recent news, and follow along on LinkedIn and Instagram.

About the Role

The R&D Lead will be responsible for leading and moving products forward in the development process from ideation to commercialization. You will be leading key projects important to Voyage’s mission. This role will be within the research and development team and will be imperative to the business and our future. You will be expected to report on any technical product issues that are discovered during evaluation, manage product testing and trials, and assess the materials used, the efficiency of the process, and the effectiveness of the final product. 

This is an exempt, supervisory position based at our Oakland, CA HQ location and will report directly to the VP of R&D. 

What You’ll Do 

• Lead key projects within R&D to support business goals with ownership of the entire development process from start to finish. 

• Demonstrate knowledge of industry manufacturing operations that will ultimately be used to commercialize new products. 

• Develop research programs incorporating current developments to improve existing products and study the potential of new products. 

• Plan and execute equipment trials to scale new products. 

• Demonstrate creative problem solving with a bias to action. 
• Document all phases of research and development and communicate results and learnings to key stakeholders 
• Present regular reports on project progress, problems, and solutions.
• Ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Production, Quality Control, Sales and Marketing. 
• Apply quantitative methods: analyze data, evaluate results, form conclusions, and provide/implement process or document improvement. 
• Mentor and Lead a team of scientists by providing ongoing coaching and feedback. 
• Assess the scope of research projects and ensure they are on time. 
• Performs other duties as assigned 
• Track spending and assess the value proposition of any expenditures as it relates to the success of the team or project in concert with the VP of R&D.

What makes you successful / What makes a great candidate 

• 5+ years in chocolate, confectionery, or related R&D desired 
• Excellent leadership skills with ideally 1-2 years experience supervising and motivating teams. 
• Experience conducting equipment trials and scale-up commercialization runs 
• Possesses a proactive bias towards action, readily initiating and driving forward solutions in dynamic environments. Demonstrates comfort and proficiency in navigating complex scenarios, leveraging adaptability and critical thinking to achieve successful outcomes.
• Demonstration of ownership of at least one product from ideation to commercialization
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to analyze data and make informed decisions.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders. 
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel and Google Suite 

Physical Demands 

• Tasting and comparing the tastes of a full range of foods and food products (including dairy, fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, grains, nuts, meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, spices, and other foods) for different characteristics, such as appearance, smell, taste, flavor, and quality of ingredients. 
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer 

Compensation

United States-based roles only: The Annual salary for this role is between $104,000-$130,000 plus immediate participation in our benefits program (health, dental, 401k and many others), utilization of our generous paid time off and, where applicable, participation in our incentive programs. All employees are owners of Voyage Foods and receive an equity grant as part of their total package. At Voyage Foods, we approach each individual's compensation with a promise of fair market value and internal equity commensurate with experience and specific skill set.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, Vision Plans
• STD/LTD, Life and AD&D policies
• FSA, HRA, and Mental Health Program Benefits
• Commuter Benefits
• 401K Program
• Unlimited Vacation
• Paid Family Leave Program
• Ongoing Team Events, including Weekly Friday Lunches

Voyage Foods is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual