Global Sterilization Specialist

Job Description

Job Description:

This role supports the Innovation, Supply, and External Manufacturing teams from product concept development to launch, leading thermal process development projects for all packaging formats within the wet and fresh meal.

What are we looking for?

• M.S. or PhD qualification in Food Science, Microbiology, Engineering or other related field
• 5+ years experience in Thermal Processing in Food or Pet food industry, with R&D Thermal Process Authority part.
• Expert knowledge of factory unit operations.
• Experience with a diverse cross-section of food manufacturing equipment and processes for all temperature states (ambient, refrigerated, frozen)
• Strong engineering fundamentals and familiarity with experimental design and statistical data analysis.
• Advanced understanding of retort systems, particularly steam and steam-air, water spray and cascading retorts, and hydrostatic cookers.
• Experience with microbiology validation protocols, including the development and execution of validation studies.
• Understanding of US FDA and USDA regulations for Thermally Processed Low-acid and Acidified foods.
• Ability to maintain relationships with regulatory bodies and ensure compliance with scheduled processes and filings.
• Must have experience with leading technical project teams.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work independently or as a member of a team.
• Project Management experience and expertise preferred.
• Communicator with local, regional, and global Process technology network; also, academic, commercial, and external expertise.
• Ability to use Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, experimental design software, and understand engineering drawings (e.g. AutoCAD)
• Up to 30% travel.

What will be your key responsibilities?

Responsibilities include developing and testing equipment, validation activities for kill steps, identifying sterilization opportunities, scaling up cooking processes, and ensuring compliance with kill step requirements for product validation. Significant collaboration with Innovation, Quality Control/Assurance, Engineering, and global thermal process specialists is required to evaluate new technologies and design effective kill steps, integrating these protocols into HACCP plans to ensure product safety and quality.

This role within Q&FS is a global expert role looking after standardization and compliance across all internal and external plants in Royal Canin Division. The implementation responsibility at a site is for Q&FS Site Mgr and it is key that a site level, there are local experts (SSE) available well trained and guided by this global thermal processing role ensuring compliance.

Strong Collaboration with other Thermal Process Experts to peer reviews, collaboration, and knowledge transfer.

This role operates within a dynamic and collaborative environment, balancing technical expertise in thermal processing with strategic stakeholder engagement.

This role works closely with cross-functional teams, including Innovation, R&D, Regulatory, External Manufacturing, and Engineering, to lead and drive thermal process development projects.

It collaborates collaborating with microbiologists and food safety experts for microbiology validation studies, ensuring that processes meet safety standards and regulatory compliance.

Standardization Leadership:

• Lead the harmonization of Thermal Processing standards within the Royal Canin business to establish global Best Practices

Regulatory and Scientific Compliance:

• Ensure global activities take into consideration all regulatory influences and scientific validity testing for food safety and obtaining shelf stability
• Verify that all sites are compliant to regulatory requirements (e.g. FDA-systems for NA), including appropriate documentation being maintained. Support the local sites in the FDA filing process (main contact).
• Serve as the US corporate Thermal Process Authority, maintaining relationships with regulatory bodies (FDA, USDA, State of California) and ensuring compliance with scheduled processes and filings.

Advanced Technological Support:

• Support and evaluate the research and development of new technology (as new thermal process equipment or new pack) to ensure compliance to global food safety standards and applicable regulations
• Collaborate with R&D teams to validate that Thermal Processing Standard comply with R&D product, pack and process specifications and ensure new wet and fresh products meet performance standards (safety, palatability, appearance), in compliance with regulations. Explore cook profile interactions and product performance.
• Support and provide inputs to engineering for process specifications of thermal processing equipment
• Provide technical support and knowledge to factories (Royal Canin & Pet Nutrition) and pilot plant installations, meaning travelling worldwide, depending the location of factories / pilot plants (currently North America, Austria, France, China, Australia, Germany and potential others PN or External sites to investigate)

Thermal Processing Expertise:

• Deliver expertise and risk assessment in global or local issues related to thermal processing. Make key decisions regarding product safety to protect the business, customers, and consumers.
• Determine operational impact of electronic system validations (PLC, instrumentation, control program, cycle parameters) and make process design and continuous improvement recommendations, related to thermal processing, including energy and water consumptions as part of sustainability ambition

Thermal Process Design and Validation:

• Determine operational impact of electronic system validations (PLC, instrumentation, control program, cycle parameters) and make process design and continuous improvement recommendations, related to thermal processing, including energy and water consumptions as part of sustainability ambition Lead the design and implementation of microbiology validation protocols to ensure the safety and efficacy of processes, including conducting in-plant experiments and analyzing data for microbial inactivation.

• Develops actions, plans and recommendations for shelf-stability operational and investment continuous improvement
• Conduct experiments, analyze and report data to validate safe food production
• Create tools to align deviation dispositioning and tracking to identify improvement opportunities

Community Leadership and Liaison:

• Create tools to align deviation dispositioning and tracking to identify improvement opportunities
• Contribute with Global Petcare / Pet Nutrition / Food to Thermal Process activities including training, process establishment, standard review and incident resolution.
• Train local experts and teams about thermal processing in relationship with standards, food safety and product quality. Mentor and coach Thermal Process Technologists at all Royal Canin sites (wet and fresh).
• Key external interface with regulatory officials on thermal processing issues and opportunities.
• Support regulatory audit preparations.

What can you expect from Mars?

• Work with diverse and talented Associates, all guided by the Five Principles.
• Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
• Best-in-class learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
• An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.

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