Our client is a flavour and ingredients business developing innovative food and beverage experiences through flavour creation, flavour matching and product development. They are seeking a confectionery specialist to turn customer briefs and consumer trends into commercially successful products.
The Role
Reporting to the Manager, Flavor & Applications, you will lead confectionery application projects from initial formulation through scale-up and commercialisation.
Develop and optimise gummies, nutraceutical gummies, licorice, chocolate, compound coatings, hard and soft candies, chews and related confectionery products.
Create innovative prototypes for customer presentations, product demonstrations and trade shows.
Act as a technical partner to customers, advising on ingredient functionality, formulation, processing, labelling and regulatory requirements.
Evaluate flavour delivery, sweetness, masking, texture and colour, troubleshooting formulation and processing challenges.
Lead pilot trials and support manufacturing scale-up and commercialisation.
Conduct sensory evaluations and physical and chemical stability testing to assess product quality, potency and shelf life.
Collaborate with flavour development, sales, marketing, regulatory, quality and operations teams to progress customer projects.
Stay informed on confectionery trends, emerging ingredients and manufacturing technologies, with domestic travel for customer visits, trials and industry events.
Requirements
A bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Confectionery Science, Culinary Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or a related discipline.
Relevant experience in confectionery product development or applications, ideally including commercialisation.
Strong practical knowledge of confectionery formulation and processing across gummies, chocolate, coatings, candies and related systems.
Experience with gelatin and pectin gummies, starch-moulded products, sugar-free systems and functional confectionery is preferred.
Experience incorporating vitamins, minerals, botanicals, adaptogens, caffeine or other functional ingredients is advantageous, particularly alongside flavour masking and sweetness optimisation.
Ability to support regulatory and finished-product labelling compliance, including relevant FDA and DSHEA requirements and Kosher and Halal considerations.
Strong project-management, organisational and communication skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities independently and within cross-functional teams.