Associate Sensory Scientist at Curion – Racine, Wisconsin

At Curion, We Connect Brands to People. Our expertise and passionate pursuit of insights enable our clients to make informed decisions that drive meaningful impact. Our vision? Advancing the way brands connect to people to build a better future. Our core values: Integrity, Resiliency, Accountability, Curiosity, and Collaboration.

Position Summary:

As a member of the onsite team and under the supervision of the Account Manager, the Sensory Panel Leader has responsibility for supporting the sensory research programs and clients by coordinating Descriptive Analysis (DA), and other research as needed including test set-up, execution, and data analysis.

Curion is looking for someone with a strong potential for growth into a leadership position. The ideal candidate would have a solid technical background in sensory testing methodology and the ability to effectively communicate with clients.

Key Responsibilities:

· Panel leadership and management, including but not limited to leading training and testing, communicating with panelists, managing panel dynamics, engagement, etc.

· Support and execute panel performance measurement plan including but not limited to implementing calibration/validation exercises and providing panelists performance feedback.

· Create and/or program ballots and questionnaires to support studies as needed.

· Manage high quality, timely research in response to the client needs.

· Interact with clients to ensure a clear understanding of project objectives, progress, product tracking, timelines, and deliverables. Receive project requests and communicate with client to schedule testing. Attend project meetings as needed.

· Support study reporting with data entry, graphing, photographing samples, and editing presentations as needed.

· Support special projects including, but not limited to, coordinating department meetings, setting up new procedures, and documenting protocols.

· Actively participate on technical team offering suggestions, making recommendations, and assuming responsibility as needed.

· Develop and enhance skills in sensory evaluation, consumer research, and data analysis.

· Identify, develop, and execute new, novel approaches to research individually or as part of a team.

· Perform other duties to ensure lab functions at high level such as procurement, sample preparation, etc. as needed.

Physical Requirements:

Reasonable Accommodations Statement

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable Accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

· Standing, bending, walking, lifting/carrying, and reaching required to perform essential job functions in a laboratory environment including but not limited to preparation and storage of chemical dilutions, lab cleanup, test area setup and breakdown, etc.

· Be able and willing to smell various fragrances and malodors and participate in odor evaluation training as needed

· Be able and willing to apply and evaluate products on the skin.

Qualifications:

Education and Experience

· Undergraduate degree in science or related major.

· 1 or more years of experience in a research environment; experience with sensory testing or product research strongly preferred.

Essential Skills

· Ability to communicate effectively with others, both orally and in writing.

· Assertiveness - Ability to act in a self-confident manner to facilitate completion of a work assignment or to defend a position or idea

· Excellent organizational, planning and prioritization skills to meet challenging deadlines

· Ability to effectively present information publicly

· Ability to adapt to change in the workplace

· Ability to accept responsibility and account for their actions.

· Strong analytical skills

· Excellent interpersonal skills - Ability to get along well with a variety of personalities and individuals, and to actively listen, and be approachable.

· Motivation - Ability to inspire oneself and others to reach a goal and/or perform to the best of their ability.

· Reliability - The trait of being dependable and trustworthy.

· Ability to solve problems and manage conflict within a group setting.

Computer Skills

· Proficient in Office 365 including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and MS Project.

· Sensory Data collections software experience preferred (e.g., RedJade, Compusense, FIZZ, EyeQuestion, etc.)

For Curion’s Associate Sensory Scientist position, we offer a starting hourly rate between $20.00-$23.00 per hour based on the qualifications and experience of each individual. Curion offers a benefits package for this position which includes:

• 401(k) retirement account with company match
• Health, dental, vision, basic life, short and long-term disability, accident insurance, critical insurance, pet insurance, flexible spending account (FSA), and more.
• Paid time off (PTO)
• Company paid holidays

Curion is committed to equal opportunity in the terms and conditions of employment for all employees and job applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or gender expression, national origin, disability or veteran status.

About the company

Curion specializes in delivering impactful insights to the world's top CPG companies, helping them develop winning, repeatedly purchased products. Curion’s deep data-driven product insights, sensory expertise, and state-of-the-art consumer centers enable them to uncover responses to critical client objectives. With over five decades of experience in the product testing industry, Curion is dedicated to guiding clients with their proprietary Product Experience and Performance (PXP™) platform, connecting brands to consumers at every step.

As an innovator in the industry, Curion recently developed a groundbreaking benchmarking product testing method, the Curion Score™, which has become a trusted and sought after tool within the industry. As one of the largest product and consumer insights companies in the U.S., Curion has built a reputation for excellence and trust among the world's leading consumer brands. Curion’s commitment to innovation and expertise, coupled with a passion for delivering actionable insights, makes Curion a valuable partner for companies looking to develop and launch successful products.