Innovation Researcher

Job Description

We are IFF, a leading innovator of sensorial experiences that move the world. Our passion for exploration drives us to create unique scents and tastes in fine fragrances and beauty, detergents and household goods, as well as beverages, confectionary and food products.

Our global team members take advantage of leading consumer insights, research and development, creative expertise, and customer intimacy to develop differentiated products. Dreamers and doers, we work tirelessly to discover flavors and fragrances that inspire customers and delight consumers.

The Role

As a Scientist within the Scent Technology and Innovation team, you will work together with R&D, Perfumers, Operations and Commercial teams to create and deliver innovative technologies. You will be responsible for understanding how these technologies interact with fragrances ingredients and customers formulations in order to design and deliver fragrance solutions which will delight our consumers.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive, plan, conduct and report laboratory work for Innovation projects
• Develop and present technical information to support project decision making in order to deliver truly differentiated solutions
• Work with R&D, Perfumers, Evaluators and Operation teams to identify and understand the challenges and risks
• Design, prepare and conduct performance and stability studies on rheology innovation and needs to answer projects needs
• Work within a multi-disciplined team to create business relevant technical solutions
• Support project teams to create technical insights using appropriate design of experiments
• Contribute to technical project teams, providing data and lab support in Innovation
• Participate in and run fragrance evaluation panels
• Drive and deliver improvements and innovations for the current and expanding portfolio of capsule technologies as well as other fabric platforms
• Develop a network of colleagues within IFF to expand application and business knowledge
• Ensure work is managed in a timely, reliable way and according to the highest standards
• Follow safe laboratory practices
• Maintain excellent awareness of the Fabric Care market and market products
• To be curious about fragrance technology innovation and have passion to solve related problems
• Playing a proactive role in new initiatives
• Support technology scouting IP/literature review

Requirements

Essential skills and competencies

• Excellent Lab Skills
• Able to react quickly to changing environments
• Efficient planning skills
• Turning data into actionable insights
• Experience in product application/development
• Result driven and excellent problem-solving skills
• Customer focused
• DOE (design of experiment) experience
• Ability to work cross-functionally
• Results oriented
• Knowledgeable in lab safety, relevant application, raw materials and chemical processes
• Fluent in English, other language proficiency (French, Dutch, German) is a plus

Competencies

• Curious, enjoys a difficult challenge
• Good interpersonal and communication skills
• Drives to deliver business relevant technical solutions
• Open minded, embraces diversity, shows courage (take risks, learns from success and failure), flexible, deals well with pressure
• Team player
• Passionate about fragrance and product development
• Demonstrates a strong quality of perseverance
• Self-motivated

Preferred Skills

• Project planning skills
• Home or Personal Care formulation, Polymer, Colloid Science experience
• Good olfactory evaluation skills (an internal test will be part of the interview process)
• Experience in the fragrance/flavor or fast-moving consumer goods industry

Required Experience

• Bachelors or Masters in Chemistry, Polymer, Colloid science or related discipline
• 2-3 years working experience in the industry or in comparable industries (consumer products), preferably in an international environment