About Good Food Holdings

Good Food Holdings is the holding company for five preeminent and enduring food retailing brands: Bristol Farms, Lazy Acres Natural Market, Metropolitan Market, New Seasons Market, and New Leaf Community Markets. Each brand has its own leadership team, company culture, operating philosophy, and go-to market strategy. Each brand is deeply rooted in community and is the leader in their respective market in offering the most unique item assortments, highest quality meat, seafood, and bakery items, as well as the broadest assortment of quality and organic produce available. Each brand also has a broad and high quality offering of prepared foods.

The Private Label Department has an opening for a Food & QA Technologist. This position can sit at any of our banner locations in Bellevue, WA., Portland, OR. or Carson, CA. and is an in-office position.

Job Summary:

Primary responsibility is to ensure that food products are safe and meet specific standards and be involved in developing the manufacturing processes and recipes of food and related products. This could involve working on both existing and newly-discovered ingredients to invent new recipes and concepts, modify foods to create products such as fat-free items and ready meals and will often work closely with the manufacturer’s product development teams to help deliver factory-ready recipes, based on development kitchen samples. Keeping up with ever-changing food production regulations and GMP will be an essential part of the technologist’s job.

Key Responsibilities:

Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Provide technical expertise to vendors and internal stakeholders
• Assist with the development and review of formulations for current and future products
• Collaborate with project teams to create new products from conceptualization to commercialization
• Evolve and improve nutritional quality, flavor and texture of food products.
• Assist in staying on the forefront of new developments and product innovations
• Interpret and apply scientific findings to food, know how to translate findings into innovative products
• Understand how to translate business objectives into clear product development project goals.
• Modify existing products and processes and develop new ones
• Check and improve safety and quality control procedures in factories, from the raw material stage through to the finished product
• Research current consumer markets and latest technologies to develop new product concepts
• Select raw materials and other ingredients from suppliers
• Prepare product costings based on raw materials and manufacturing costs to ensure profitable products
• Audit suppliers or manage internal audits
• Run trials of new products and coordinate launches of new products
• Deal with any customer complaint investigations or product issues
• Design the processes and machinery for making products with a consistent flavor, color and texture in large quantities

Qualifications/Skills Required:

To successfully perform the requirements of this position, an individual must consistently execute each essential function at a satisfactory level. The requirements listed in the following text are representative of the knowledge, experience and skill levels required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor’s degree in food science, agricultural science , biology or chemistry
• 6+ years experience in product development required
• Ability to use internal and external sources to make technical scientific advances
• Proven ability of working in a laboratory or food factory
• Knowledge and understanding of data science
• Knowledge of Private Label operations and business.
• Work experience in the food manufacturing industry is advantageous
• Strong personal skills and the ability to build relationships across the business to manage the business.
• Expert organization skills and the ability to track issues across multiple locations / departments / divisions
• Strong oral and written communication skills. Must be able to understand and communicate techniques involved in training, merchandising and marketing of GFH Private Label items.
• Strong customer service focus and team building skills.
• Able to motivate and coordinate merchandising initiatives.
• Work may be performed in a temperature-controlled environment.
• Stooping, bending, twisting, and reaching may be required in completion of job duties.
• Workday is fast paced; some evening and weekend work may be required.
• Willingness to travel overnight and to work nights and weekend shifts for special projects
• Travel requirements: >20%

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO): It is the policy of Metropolitan Market, LLC that all employees and applicants be afforded equal opportunities in employment without regard to race, color, sex (including gender identity and gender stereotypes), national origin, religion, disability, or retaliation for engaging in an EEO protected activity. The Company prohibits discrimination or harassment based on any of these categories, as well as on age, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a parent, military service, or any other bases protected under applicable local, state, or federal law.