Principal Scientist I, Product Sensory Evaluation at Altria Client Services LLC in Richmond, Virginia

Job Description:

Overview

Want to build and run Product Sensory Evaluation infrastructure dedicated to understanding Design to Performance aspects of non-combustible reduced harm products for a Fortune 200 Company with some of the most iconic brands? If you have a bachelor's degree in Food Science or related field and experience with sensory evaluation methods, and statistical analysis, we want to speak with you! We are currently looking for a Principal Scientist I, Product Sensory Evaluation to join our Reduced Harm Product Development (RHPD) team in Richmond, VA.

What you will be doing:

• Developing & handling non-combustible Reduced Harm Product sensory evaluation's program to effectively assess innovative platforms and adjacencies in order to identify design elements that are drivers of product performance
• Establishing infrastructure to define Design to Performance benchmarks through competitive product assessments to identify and understand what design elements are unique to / responsible for the product's sensory performance
• Critical cross functional collaboration and key input into the Early Warning System (EWS) for non-combustible Reduced Harm Products that allows to connect key aspects of the product design to sensory performance and sensory performance to consumer behavior
• Identifying design parameters for our products to succeed both within the tobacco category and adjacent categories that align with Altria's vision
• Crafting and handling internal sensory panel evaluation infrastructure including study design, execution and data analysis
• Preparing and delivering insights to all levels of management
• Collaborating and / or coordinating product testing (e.g. analytical testing). Integrating data to sensory data and performing data analysis to identify underlying insights that can support non-combustible Reduced Harm Product Development.
• Scoping out innovative product platforms and / or adjacencies to stay ahead of new to the category entrants

We want you to have:

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science or related field with 8+ years of relevant experience. An advance degree is preferred.
• Experience with sensory evaluation methods, their strengths and limitations as well as statistical analysis. Knowledge about multivariate statistical analysis is a plus.
• Sensory Science Program Certification is a plus (e.g. UC Davis Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certification, IFT Fundamentals of Sensory Science).
• Strong problem solving and analytical skills.
• Design Thinking, Agile Methodologies and Consumer Centric approaches to product development
• High level proficiency with MS Office applications, especially Excel and PowerPoint
• Strong communication skills to include written and presentation skills
• Quality by Design / Design Control / Quality Management Systems knowledge
• Demonstrated project and risk management knowledge and expertise
• Positive growth mentality and an aptitude for innovation
• General office, lab and production environment requirements (ability to lift up to 50lbs, wear lab or production safety equipment such as safety glasses, hair and beard nets etc. and the ability to travel)

Company Overview

Altria Group is a FORTUNE 200 company that leads the premier tobacco companies in the United States. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, Altria Group holds diversified positions across tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis. Our tobacco companies include some of the most enduring names in American business: Philip Morris USA, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, John Middleton. We have 35 percent ownership of JUUL Labs, Inc., the nation's leading e-vapor company. And we have an 80 percent interest in Helix Innovations, which manufactures and markets on!, an oral tobacco-derived nicotine pouch product. We complement our total tobacco business with our ownership of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and our significant equity investment in Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world's largest brewer. Altria's significant stake in Cronos Group, a leading global cannabinoid company, represents an exciting new global growth opportunity. At Altria, we celebrate the power of diverse teams working together to shape our future. We are inspired to bring our best because our unique strengths are valued. We believe our personal success and progress should be guided by Our Cultural Aspiration, a new articulation of what we value and who we aspire to be, collectively. Our Cultural Aspiration respects and complements individual identity, embracing each other's unique strengths, welcoming newcomers and developing the best, most inclusive and diverse teams. Over the next 10 years, we have the opportunity to make more progress on harm reduction than we have in the past 50 years. Join us as we work together to shape a better future for adult tobacco consumers, our employees, and our shareholders. Each Altria company is an equal opportunity employer.