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Research Associate/Senior Research Associate - Product Development

New Culture

New Culture

Product
San Leandro, CA, USA
Posted on Thursday, January 18, 2024
At New Culture, we make cow cheese without the cow. Dairy cheese is unsustainable and plant-based cheeses don’t work. Ours are sustainable, healthy, ethical, and indistinguishable from current dairy options in taste, texture, and function. Using fermentation to produce dairy proteins, food science to combine those proteins with natural ingredients, and traditional cheesemaking methods to make any cheese of choice, we are bringing about a new culture for the cheese industry.
We are a Bay Area-based, venture-backed startup in an exciting growth and rapid expansion phase. We are looking for a Research Associate/Senior Research Associate - Product Development to join us in leading the global transformation to an animal-free dairy future. As an early member of the team, you will have significant influence and responsibility in determining the success and trajectory of New Culture. The ideal candidate is looking for a new challenge in a fast-moving, collaborative environment.

What will you be doing:

  • Work with the Product Team on iteration design and optimization of the world’s first animal-free dairy mozzarella
  • Perform ingredient qualification and characterization on New Culture’s animal-free dairy casein
  • Apply principles of texture analysis, rheology, and QC to evaluate and enhance product performance, stability, and shelf-life
  • Collaborate cross-functionally with DSP, Commercial/Marketing, and external advisors to achieve product development and commercialization milestones
  • Design and conduct sensory evaluation tests, analyze and present data to the team to guide product development efforts
  • Support scale-up and technology transfer to contract manufacturers
  • Keep meticulous records of R&D activities (product iterations, new ingredient trials, processing methods, analytical assays), including documentation and maintenance of SOPs

What we expect from you:

  • B.Sc. in Food Science, Food Chemistry, or related field with 2+ years experience
  • Strong interpersonal skills and a team-first mentality
  • A strong desire to improve the world, a love of discovery, huge enthusiasm for getting rigorous experimental results and hitting milestones on a tight deadline, sharing your ideas and embracing other’s ideas, eagerness to help where help is needed, flexibility to quickly pivot to new tasks or projects, and most importantly - a love of cheese.

Even better if you had:

  • Experience developing food and/or beverage products with dairy proteins
  • Hands-on experience with texture analysis and rheology
  • Familiarity with CGMP, HACCP, QC/QA standards and testing frameworks, and basic principles of food safety
  • Experience coordinating and conducting sensory panels
  • Proficiency in Genesis R&D® Food Formulation & Labeling Software or equivalent, and familiarity with FDA nutrition and health claims
  • Experience working a start-up fast-paced environment
How to know you are a great fit:
We look for candidates who are team players, learners, doers, and hungry to make a difference in the world. Creativity and resourcefulness, honesty and empathy go a long way. Our five core values guide us on our path to achieving our mission.
Determination with Kindness | Have the resolve, the drive, and the will to succeed, but do it with empathy, encouragement, and compassion. In the face of adversity we will only excel as a team by keeping kindness at the forefront of everything we do.
Creativity with Transparency | Creativity, persistence, questioning, and crazy ideas to solve hard problems are essential to our work. We do all of this out in the open while being honest and forthright about the new things we’re trying, getting feedback and input from our teammates along the way.
Teamwork with Rigor | Hold yourself and those around you to high standards and understand how your responsibilities are interconnected with others’. As much as you rely on your teammates, they’re relying on you, and only with consistent communication and rigorous teamwork will we achieve our goals together.
Speed with Focus | We move quickly, exploring new opportunities and incorporating new results to make progress rapidly. Remaining focused throughout our experimentations means making thoughtful decisions, listening to a range of perspectives, and moving forward as a unified team once we’ve committed to the path ahead.
Love the Product (not just the Science) | The science is cool but the product is even cooler. Our breakthroughs are always in the pursuit of better products. It’s by selling delicious dairy that we will bring about a successful future for New Culture and a positive impact for our customers and the planet.
New Culture is committed to promoting and creating a diverse, inclusive environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Diversity is the foundation of what we do at New Culture, enabling us to build a company that celebrates what makes each of us unique.