Test Kitchen Technician

Tukwila, WA

FUTURE DIFFERENCE MAKERS WANTED!

CuliNEX is dedicated to continuous learning and exceeding our clients’ business goals by developing delicious, clean label foods that create a better planet, healthier people and happier communities. We continue to grow. And while we continue to add like-minded people and passionate food professionals to our team, we never forget our roots. We’re a group of friends who think of our place more as a boutique than your typical office. 

Are you Hungry, Humble and Smart? If so, then CuliNEX may be the place for you! These are the core requirements for every employee at our company. If you are looking to accelerate your career in culinary innovation and food product development, let’s start the conversation today. 


Our Company

Since 2005, CuliNEX has been the industry’s premier consulting firm providing product development & strategic business services focused on clean label food products. While maintaining our commitment to continuous learning, we exceed our client’s business goals by developing delicious, clean label foods that create a better planet, healthier people and happier communities.


What We Do

We’re passionate about creating great tasting, wholesome food. We specialize in assisting brand owners, food manufacturers, ingredient suppliers and retailers with achieving their growth goals by bringing successful products to market. Our expertise covers a wide variety of food product categories including frozen, refrigerated and shelf stable products, seafood, bakery goods, soups and sauces, dairy products, grains, produce and snack items.


About you

Weare seeking a dynamic and friendly teammate who is extremely well organized, loves a good challenge and good people to work with. The ideal candidate will have strong people skills and a willingness to jump in and help in multiple areas without losing sight of priorities. An ability to deliver on tight deadlines while ensuring day to day tasks are managed appropriately. A sense of humor combined with a sense of pride in your work and a commitment to doing your part to enable the team to succeed. Tech savvy, you can work well with Microsoft's full suite of products including Office 365, Teams and SharePoint as well as a wide variety of other software products. The ideal candidate is an aspiring food scientist or has other career interests in the culinary food product development space and a passion for supporting the development of food products on the bench with their colleagues.

Interested? Read on!


Job Title: Test Kitchen Technician 

Dept:  Research and Development  

Reports to:    Product Development Manager  

Direct Reports:  None  

 

Job Summary and Mission   

This position contributes to CuliNEX Companies’ success by ensuring that the operational efficiency of the product development team is maximized by consolidating administrative tasks with a specialist who ensures that research and development staff can focus on what they do best. In addition, this position is a liaison between developers, project managers and business development, ensuring effective communications and supporting project workflows.  

Summary of Key Responsibilities     

  Essential job functions include but are not limited to the following:  

  • Provide support as needed by team, including grocery, equipment, and material ordering and pick up  
  • Provide benchtop support preparing samples, recipes, weighing ingredients, labeling and organizing samples accurately, as needed by team 
  • Manage shipping and receiving, including scheduling, packaging, delivery to outside locations, serving as a resource on shipping procedures to the team  
  • Manage ingredient database and supply maintenance including receiving, labeling, filing documentation and maintaining database  
  • Coordinate ingredient supplier presentations and scheduling with outside vendors and internal team  
  • Provide Technical Administrative Support, including calibrating and maintaining equipment, running routine quality tests, record test results accurately in laboratory notebooks and databases 
  • Maintain MS Teams and Sharepoint organization, including creating new team folders, OneNote pages, and granting team access to channels  
  • Manage Client Access and Permissions to MS Team channels 
  • Support Client Visitations including set up, clean up, material ordering and support for the team 
  • Coordinate internal team meetings, occasionally coordinate lunch or snacks to accompany 
  • Enter data as needed in spreadsheets, databases, or notes 
  • Execute opening and closing kitchen, including set up, turning on equipment, cleaning up and managing recycling, and more  
  • Provide upkeep and maintenance for kitchen, including ordering equipment and supplies, lead regular team cleaning days 
  • Support continuous organization & process improvement working with team  
  • Create/Update project templates using MS Office applications 

    

Special Tasks   

  • Event coordination  

   

Education and Experience   

  • HS Diploma Required  
  • Food laboratory or kitchen experience preferred  
  • Administrative experience encouraged 
  • MS Office and MS Teams application experience encouraged 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities   

  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.   
  • Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.   
  • Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.   
  • Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.   
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.   
  • Ability to prioritize tasks and to delegate when appropriate.   
  • Ability to function well in a high-paced and at times stressful environment.   
  • Ability to maintain strict confidentiality handling sensitive information.  
  • A valid drivers license.  

   Physical Work Abilities and Requirements: 

  • Mobility: This position may be required to move around the office environment to perform various job duties, such as delivering documents, attending meetings, and assisting colleagues. 
  • Dexterity: The position may involve the use of computers, telephones, and other office equipment, requiring the ability to manipulate small objects and perform repetitive tasks with accuracy. 
  • Visual Acuity: This position must have sufficient vision to read documents, view computer screens, and operate office equipment effectively. 
  • Hearing: The ability to hear and understand verbal communication is essential for effective interaction with colleagues, supervisors, and external parties. 
  • Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills are necessary for conveying information, responding to inquiries, and providing excellent customer service. 
  • Sitting/Standing: This position may be required to sit or stand for extended periods while performing job duties. 
  • Lifting/Carrying: Occasional lifting and carrying of light to moderate objects, such as files, supplies, or equipment, may be required. 
  • Manual Dexterity: The ability to perform tasks that require precise finger and hand movements, such as typing, writing, and operating office machinery, is essential. 

Our organization is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities to enable them to perform the essential functions of the job, consistent with applicable laws. Applicants and employees requiring accommodations should contact Carrie Schuman, Director of People Operations to discuss their needs. 

This statement serves as a guideline and does not constitute a comprehensive list of all physical work abilities and requirements associated with the Administrative Assistant position. The duties and responsibilities of the position may evolve over time, and reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. 

For further information or inquiries regarding our commitment to equal employment opportunity please contact Carrie Schuman, Director of People Operations.