Food & Packaging Technologist (Bilingual in Korean)

Job Description

This position will be primarily responsible for developing packaging specification for consumer packaged food products and providing technical services to co-pack products and importing food products. This position also plays a role of project management assistance for all R&D projects by closely working with R&D professionals. As a packaging professional, the technologist works in partnership with packaging experts in head quarter in Korea and regional network and developers to get required inputs from development and gain alignment on project direction. Focusing on the development of packages, which includes design, material selection, analytical testing, line trials, accommodation to production, validation, and continuous management and improvement. This position is also required to lead trouble shooting and actionable recommendation and develop specification to technical problems of packaging and assigned co-pack and import products.

Brand Overview

Pulmuone is a LOHAS, Lifestyle of Health & Sustainability, company that seeks to promote beautiful harmony between people and the earth. Pulmuone Foods USA brands include Nasoya, Wildwood, Emerald Valley Kitchen, Monterey Gourmet Foods, and Cibo Naturals. Pulmuone’s family of brands provide our consumers a wide variety of delicious products that are inspired by contemporary flavor palates and encourage a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. Visit www.pulmuonefoodsusa.com to learn more about the company and brands.

Essential Job Functions:

• Contribute to the revenue and profit growth by developing new and improved packaging for food products.
• Lead product scale-up by testing products and developing specific processing methods.
• Work with operations on initial production runs and as needed to maintain product quality levels.
• Create specification of packaging and quality management system (QMS) for commercialization.
• Conduct mechanical tests of packaging materials, cost and quality improvements to current product packages.
• Develop new resolutions by investigating package defects and customer dissatisfactions.
• Confer with vendors, process engineers, food technologists, packaging and marketing specialists to understand available technology and provide ideas, solutions, and alternatives to meet food safety, quality, costs, and customer requirements.
• Contribute to the overall team effort by accomplishing related tasks, actively participating and applying leadership skills.
• Finalize design requirements and confirm package design proofs before printing.
• Identify prospective co-packers to perform NPD project assigned and conduct scale-up test to live run closely working with food technologist and scientists.
• Monitor quality of the product produced from co-packer and imported as needed.
• Adjust importing product formula to comply with local regulations and markets as needed and develop product specification closely working with counterpart technologist in the exporting body.
• Keep updating and reporting progress status of all formal R&D projects using MS project software in line with NPD process.
• Research market trends and comparative products from all major retailers/competitors and recommend product development ideas in line with those trends coordinating interdepartmental activities.
• Apply a wide range of food microbiology and chemistry knowledge to identify the root-causes of product defects and propose preventive actions.
• Perform special project assignments.

Skills/Qualifications:

• Food packaging development experiences
• Food product development experiences
• Knowledge of food packaging and manufacturing process
• Proficient with computers and MS office and strong communication skills
• Knowledge and experience of NPD process
• Self-directed with the ability to work independently as well as with groups
• Bi-lingual in English and Korean is required
• MS degree in food science/food technology or similar is required.
• Minimum 3+ years related work experiences at human food manufacturing company.