Product Specialist jobs in Kitchener, ON

Made Better isn’t just a claim; it’s our Dare promise.

Dare has been a proudly Canadian, family-owned company since 1889. Throughout our long history, we’ve created some of the most loved brands in the country including Bear Paws cookies, REALFRUIT gummies, Breton crackers, Melba Toast and many more. For over 130 years we had been located in the Kitchener area since the family’s original store opened in 1892. We are head quartered in Cambridge Ontario and we’ve expanded our roots far beyond. With manufacturing plants in North America and over 1400 employees, Dare is part of the fabric of Canada.

At Dare our dedicated team works passionately to uphold our tradition of excellence, innovation and quality in every aspect of our operations. Our state-of-the-art facilities utilize advanced technology to ensure consistency and quality while meeting the evolving needs of our consumers and customers.

Position Type: Permanent, Full -Time, Onsite, Replacement

Position Overview
Reporting to the Director, Technical Services and Continuous Improvement, the Senior Technical Product Specialist – Ingredient Change Management, is responsible for researching, evaluating, risk assessment, trialing, and implementation of ingredient change management projects across multiple categories within the Dare Foods portfolio.

This position is part of our Technical Services Team which is based at our Corporate Office in Cambridge, ON and will be responsible for overseeing projects and tasks across our entire North American manufacturing network with travel to the U.S. being required.
In this role, you will be asked to work autonomously to build an ingredient change management project pipeline that reduces overall cost and builds better supply chain reliability. Working closely with the Procurement Team you will interact with current, and new vendors, to learn about new product offerings, as well as be required to keep up to date with industry trends in ingredient supply chain risk mitigation.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and lead a project pipeline that focuses on both annual and longer-term deliverable objectives.
• Take ownership of an annual cost reduction budget that delivers results across multiple food categories within our North American manufacturing network.
• Research latest industry trends in the food sector to develop longer-term, large impact projects that either drive cost reduction and/or improve Supply Chain reliability.
• Work cross functionally with our Procurement Team to scope potential opportunities with both new and current vendors.
• Build presentations and deliver them to a cross functional business group about projects and opportunities.
• Be a master of internal administrative processes that enforce our world class commitment to food safety and quality.
• Create lab samples of potential food opportunities and then translate them to plant scale trials to exhibit finished product success.

Support other areas of the Technical Services Team when required in other areas to ensure overall team success.

Qualifications

• Post-secondary degree or diploma in Food Science, Engineering or Supply Chain is required.
• Minimum 5-8 years of experience in the food manufacturing industry within a similar or relevant role.
• Lean Six Sigma training is considered an asset.
• Demonstrated ability to work in cross-functional teams and projects within the food manufacturing industry.
• Independent worker, able to work autonomously but comfortable working in a collaborative, team environment.
• Demonstrated experience of food safety and manufacturing practices such as GMP and HACCP.
• Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication, and presentation skills.
• Excellent analytical skills and attention to detail.
• Creative problem solver with the ability to pivot quickly when required.
• Meets milestones on-time and on-budget.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office as well as experience with Minitab or similar data analytics tools.

Passion for food, efficient manufacturing practices, and technical problem solving.

Working Conditions

• Normal office conditions plus frequent standing and walking are required when

on-site in a Manufacturing Site.

• Ability to lift up to 10Kg when required.
• Travel will be required for this role up to 25% of the time including travel to the U.S. and other international locations as required.

Total Rewards Package: Our Total Rewards package reflects the investment we make in our employees to help them and their families achieve their well-being goals. Total Rewards at Dare Foods includes a competitive base salary, comprehensive health and wellness benefits and retirement programs. In addition, we offer paid time off, career development opportunities as well as reward and recognition programs.
At Dare Foods Limited, we are dedicated to creating an inclusive, accessible, equal-opportunity environment that welcomes all individuals from all backgrounds because we know it will make our company a better place to work. Requests for accommodation due to a disability (visible or invisible, temporary or permanent) can be made at any stage of application and employment.
We want to thank all candidates in advance for their interest; only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Due to the volume of applications we receive, we cannot confirm the receipt of individual applications or resumes.
Salary offers will be determined based on the candidate's skills, experience, and internal equity.