R&D Scientist

Company Description

Simple Mills is a rapidly-growing company on the forefront of the clean food movement, transforming center store grocery aisles with products made from nutritious, purposeful ingredients. Simple Mills is a female-founded business, started by Katlin Smith in 2012 out of her own Kitchen. In the company’s short history, Simple Mills has disrupted the market to become the #1 bestselling natural baking mix, the #1 bestselling natural cracker, and the #1 bestselling natural cookie.

The company’s mission is to advance the holistic health of the planet and its people by positively impacting the way food is made. Simple Mills is distributed in 25,000 stores nationally including Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, Kroger, Costco and more, and available online at retailers like Amazon and Thrive Market. The brand’s newest products include: Organic Seed Flour Crackers, Seed & Nut Flour Sweet Thins, and Soft-Baked Almond Flour Bars. Simple Mills has earned broad recognition from top tier media and industry associations- including a segment on our Founder & CEO Katlin Smith on NPR’s How I Built This.. Our products have been featured in a wide array of top publications including Vogue, Women's Health, Forbes, Business Insider, mindbodygreen, NOSH and many more. Simple Mills was also a 2020 Health Magazine Snack Award Winner!

Role Description

The R&D Scientist will be a critical member of our R&D team responsible for development of exceptional products.

Responsibilities will include:

• Assist in new product development by channeling creative ideas and solutions to commercialize new products
  • Leverage ingredient trends and identify new ingredients to build existing product lines and new product platforms
  • Assess new ingredients for functionality in application and potential to support our mission of designing food to advance the holistic health of the planet and the people.
  • Evaluate secondary suppliers, as well as alternative ingredients, for cost savings and supply assurance
  • Assist in the testing of available manufacturing technology solutions and their impacts on formulations
• Participate in product design based on quality needs and mission alignment
  • Actively contribute to ideation of new products lines and renovation of existing product lines by development of formulations, recipes, and cooking instructions
  • Utilizing ingredient and formula software to create nutritional facts and ingredient statements
  • Conduct benchtop tests to deliver against consumer sensory ideals, understanding business initiatives, customer expectations, financial parameters, and timing goals
  • Lead plant trials to help define product specifications, including recipes, ingredient handling instructions, sensory attributes and ranges, and shelf life
• Leverage R&D knowledge to partner closely with internal and external teams in the product commercialization process
  • Attend co-man calls and production runs, leading R&D discussions and education on new product production
  • Update formulas for new product lines and renovation of existing product lines based on ingredient statements, sensory testing/improvements, and nutritional needs
  • Partner with quality to address questions and to mitigate issues
• Cultivate strong relationships with suppliers to become the go-to source for vetting new ingredients and technologies
• Planning, prioritizing, and completing tasks effectively and efficiently.
• Maintaining accurate and complete records
• Preparing samples for shipments
• Keeping lab and ingredient storage area clean and organized
• Performing other projects as assigned

Position Requirements

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in R&D, Quality Assurance, or a related field, within the CPG industry
• Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science or associated field required; Masters degree in associated field preferred
• Education or industry experience in nutrition preferred
• An essential function of this role includes tasting and working in the vicinity of various food allergens
• This position is based in Mill Valley, California, but ~4weeks of onboarding will be in Chicago over the first 2 months.
• The position requires up to 40% travel, once onboarding is complete
• The position requires 4-5 days of in-office work, when not traveling
• A passion for natural food, human health, and planetary wellness.
• Prior experience leading end-to-end product development is required - from bench to shelf, supporting the overall commercialization of products with a solution-driven mindset
• Must have a high level of curiosity about the marketplace, competitors, consumers, and ingredients
• Must be willing to make recommendations for improvements to strategies as well as processes through demonstrated expertise in R&D, specifically the science of ingredients
• A strong attention to detail, tenacity, and a sense of urgency
• Entrepreneurial mind set, self-starter, wearing multiple hats at times, and willing to stretch beyond day-to-day job occasionally
• Ability to work effectively in a team, think creatively, deal with ambiguity, and adapt to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment
• A passion for natural food and healthy eating as well as a desire to change the way we think about ingredient labels

Benefits of Working at Simple Mills

• You will make a huge impact as a key member of an emerging brand that’s changing the way we eat and facing explosive growth
• Working with a vibrant community of passionate team members that are driven by healthy food that tastes good and fuels your body
• We strive to foster and embed a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion across our organization. We know it is not only critical to the success of diversity initiatives - but instrumental in creating an equitable and inclusive workplace! It also creates a positive employee experience. DEI will remain at the center of our people strategy as grow and scale our organization.
• Our culture is aligned with doing good in the world and we are committed to the environment, fairness to employees and to our customers
• Integrating into a company that is passionate about its people and their development, with consistent training and multiple forums/platforms to participate in, contribute to and learn from
• Employee benefits include robust Health Benefits packages, 401(k) plan, Unlimited PTO offering, monthly cell phone/internet stipend, health & wellness stipends, product stipends and many other perks! 

Compensation will be competitive for the ideal candidate. The salary range expectation for this role is $75,000 - $100,000. This position will be in-office at our Mill Valley, CA location. Simple Mills follows CDC recommendations to help insure a safe working environment for all individuals in-office. Remote working may be considered as necessary. Sufficient internet access to support video conferencing required.

At Simple Mills, we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect and inclusion. Equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, past or present military service, physical or mental disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. All aspects of employment are decided on the basis of business need, job requirements, and individual qualifications. #LI-DNI

Simple Mills is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Simple Mills will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodations are needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact careers@simplemills.com