Address: USA-IL-Chicago-300 South Riverside Plaza
Store Code: Product Excellence (27257)

What’s Our Dish

Announced in May 2018, Peapod Digital Labs (PDL) is an Ahold Delhaize USA company that powers the eCommerce and digital strategies for the Great Local Brands of Ahold Delhaize USA. Accelerating growth in digital and personalization capabilities, PDL is an innovation lab focused on meeting the changing needs of customers, regardless of when, where, and how consumers choose to shop.

Browse the Aisles

Support the Sensory Manager by conducting product quality assessments and sensory evaluations at assigned local Brand for both current and newly developed Private Brand (PB) products. Ensure full alignment with brand guardrails and quality standards. Ensure compliance with nutritional guidelines in conjunction with PB Nutritionist for the Private Brands portfolio of brands. Communicate quality results to internal, vested business team members. Contribute to the process of product quality monitoring of Private Brand products across assigned categories. May work with Private brand manufacturers and outsourced QA third party organizations (where applicable) on formula adjustments, to monitor quality and conduct sensory evaluation of Private Brand products across assigned categories. Maintain records of all sensory, quality and validation evaluations. Provide administrative support to the Sensory team.

Recipe for Success - What's “in store” for the role

Product Validation

• Responsible for conducting product quality evaluations supporting new item development, reformulations, and category bids for all Private Brand products across the entire portfolio including fresh and non-perishable foods and non-foods products.
• Ensures facilities and appropriate set up are in place for product validation cuttings and assessments to ensure customer focused, unbiased evaluations, which uphold the standard for best-in-class private brand products.
• Procures and requests product samples as needed to facilitate evaluations.
• Ensures compliance with the Brand Equity guardrails for Private Brands, along with greater company initiatives such as clean label, the sustainable chemical policy and packaging initiatives.
• Collaborates with Private Brand Innovation teams to aid reformulating and fine-tuning of new product formulations at assigned local Brand.
• Contributes to the review of the product and specifications to ensure compliance with Private Brand guardrails including Guiding Stars, sustainable retailing requirements, ingredient, and nutritional information for assigned categories and/or at assigned local Brand.
• Communicates product quality results to a business audience (category managers, category development managers, sourcing managers and supplier partners)
• Collaborates with Category Development Managers to develop product briefs which provide guidance to suppliers on product quality parameters required for category bids and new items.
• Collaborates with Private Brands Nutritionists to ensure compliance with product nutritional standards including compliance with the Guiding Stars program.
• Maintains reporting and data recordkeeping for all assigned Validation and Sensory activities.

Product Quality Monitoring

• Acts as an advocate of product quality in the drive to develop best in class private brands products.
• Ensures all facilities are set up and required products are available to evaluate assigned categories of Private Brand products in house, in order to test compliance with product specifications and quality standards.
• Ensures relevant products and facilities are available and set up for evaluation of new products at assigned Brand and/or categories.
• Procures and requests product samples as needed to facilitate evaluations.
• Supports the monitoring, investigation and response to quality customer complaints (store, associate customer) regarding assigned categories of Private Brand products ensuring identification of issues and trends and communicating as relevant to the wider business.
• Ensures relevant information is available to contribute to the evaluation summary of quality monitoring results.
• Maintains accurate and detailed records of all evalutions and quality monitoring.
• Performs clerical related work to include filing, sorting, and completing special projects.

Sensory Program

• Supports the Private Brands product sensory assessment program at assigned local Brand, including consumer (in-store) and associate (Store Support Office) sensory research/panels.
• Works with the Sensory manager to collate and write up the results of Sensory evaluations and issues to relevant Centers of Excellence (CoEs) in Private Brands, and in conjunction with PB Innovation team provides guidance regarding next steps.
• Collaborates with the Private Brand Innovation teams to aid reformulating and fine-tuning of new product formulations based on sensory panel feedback.
• Creates and writes Sensory Ballots and sets up sensory panels utilizing relevant sensory science and techniques to create unbiased customer and associate sensory research.
• Collaborates with the in-store customer research third party company to arrange testing schedule at assigned local Brand.
• Maintains sensory records.

The Essentials In Your Cart - The required ingredients

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and related work experience in one of the following or related subject:
• Food Science, Food Technology, Nutrition, Sensory Science, Biochemistry, Microbiology
• 2+ years of related experience preferred

Extra Spices - What you should bring to the table

• Analytical and problem-solving skills
• Oral and written communication skills
• Ability to analyze, interpret and take appropriate action on information
• Organization and Project Management
• Clerical and Administrative
• Expertise in sensory testing and guidance and consumer product testing
• Ability to evaluate multiple aspects of food products
• Understanding of consumer food products brand management
• Understanding of the private label retail food business environment and metrics
• Customer focus
• Initiative
• Ability to adapt to change
• Ability to work on multiple projects
• Ability to evaluate multiple aspects of food products
• Communicate cross functionally

Join Us at Our Table

Peapod Digital Labs is a forward-thinking company with a strong legacy of innovation. We recognize who powers our progress – our people! We offer a great variety of benefits and perks to our employees, including: great health care options, including PPO and HSA plans (with company contributions), dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, a 401k with strong company match and immediate vesting, and generous and flexible paid time off.

We are an equal opportunity employer. We comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws. Qualified applicants are considered without regard to sex, race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship status, religion, age, marital status (including civil unions), military service, veteran status, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions), genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, legally recognized disability, domestic violence victim status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Job Requisition: 214846_external_USA-IL-Chicago