Food Product Research Associate Job at Eden Life Inc

Eden Life Inc is a tech-enabled service that puts your home's chores on autopilot. At Eden, our mission is to 10x the quality of life in Africa by automating chores so they never have to bother about them again. To do this, we start in our own community by creating an open, inclusive, and diverse organization. You are welcome at Eden for who you are, no matter where you come from or what you look like. Our services are for everyone, and so is our workplace.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Position: Food Product Research Associate

Job Location: Lagos

Job Description

• Eden is looking to hire a Food Product Research Associate to create and develop new food products & improve on existing food products that align with the company's goals through proper planning and strategies.
• The Food Product Research and Development unit is responsible for conducting research on new & existing food products, creating menu, testing and standardizing recipe tests. It is also responsible for training the team on recipes, cooking techniques & procedures. Our goal is to ensure that these products meet the required food safety and regulatory standards and provide quality food experiences for our customers.
• The Food Product Research Associate makes sure the R&D unit is properly set up to accomplish daily goals, provides strong documentation support, and supports all R&D activities to ensure the accomplishment of these set goals.
• At Eden, we are on a mission to delight our customers with healthy, delicious food, that's always on time. To get there, we need people who are driven, committed, and willing to get the job done, exceptionally well. If you’re the type of person who is eager to learn, committed to research, pays close attention to detail, and is looking to gain strong product development experience, then we look forward to meeting you!

Job Responsibilities
As a Product Research Associate, you will perform the following duties:

• Support General Food Research & Development Activities
• Work directly with the Food R&D lead to create product development strategies that meet our guidelines (cost, ingredients, caloric/nutritional, time constraints, and operational complexity)
• Leverage your knowledge of nutrition principles, food production methods, seasonal ingredients/procurement, etc. into the development of recipes and menu rotations that:
•  Are optimized for taste but also for cost
• Provide Support on Food Quality Assurance and Supervision
• Work with the Production team to execute new recipes as well as implement improvements to existing recipes (i.e., proper production techniques for all meals)
•  Utilize market data, seasonality of ingredients, customer buying trends and feedback to continuously evolve and improve our meals and the process by which we develop them. Continuous improvement of our products is a must
• Conduct periodic competitive and consumer trend analysis to inform future product development
• Ensure all finished food products meet specifications

Collaborate with Procurement and Operations:

• Work with procurement to ensure the best quality ingredients are used while minimizing food costs
• Address and eliminate product quality issues/customer complaints arising from problems originating with the ingredients involved in the production of meals and/or the final product

Evaluate Customer Feedback and Be A Team Player:

• Analyze customer feedback on meals and incorporate feedback into new dishes, or improve existing dishes
• Receive extensive and honest feedback on meal accessibility and flavors and incorporate into new dish ideation
• Attend and participate in weekly culinary meetings including weekly R&D tastings, weekly meal quality rating reviews, and team check-ins
• Collaborate with other chefs to improve and test each other's dishes

Job Requirements

• Culinary school coursework or relevant experience is a plus.
• A Degree in Food Science with focus on R & D is an added bonus
• Strong research background
• A passion for staying up to speed on the most current research on the science of nutrition & R & D.
• Excellent attention to detail, ensuring accurate execution of recipes and proper measurements.
• Practical communication skills to work within a team and convey observations.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing tasks and priorities in the kitchen.
• Basic understanding of cooking techniques, food preparation, and kitchen safety practices.
• Passion for food and curiosity about culinary trends and innovations.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to multitask in a fast-paced kitchen environment.
• Willingness to learn and follow instructions from senior team members.
• Ability to maintain a clean and organized workspace.
• Prior experience in a test kitchen, Kitchen, restaurant, or culinary environment is advantageous but not mandatory.