About Barilla

At Barilla, we believe that every great journey begins with passion and a bold vision. From our humble beginnings in 1877 in a small shop in Parma, Italy, we’ve blossomed into a global leader in the food industry, guided by our commitment to progress and excellence.

Today, Barilla is an international group present in more than 100 countries and we are proud to be recognized as the world’s top food company by reputation. With 20 beloved brands in our portfolio, we are world leader for pasta, the number one choice for ready-made sauces in Europe, leader for bakery products in Italy, and for crispbread across Scandinavia with Wasa.

Our success story is written by a passionate team of 9,000 dedicated employees across 30 plants and offices worldwide, all united by a shared mission to nourish the future with purpose and passion.

Are you ready to add your unique flavor to our journey?

Job description

We are looking for a new Consumer Sensory Scientist, who will join our Sensory & Analytical Food Science and Labelling team. The role will report to the Consumer Sensory Senior Scientist and it will be based in our Headquarters in Parma (Italy).

Job Purpose

The role is responsible for designing and managing sensory consumer tests to support product development and upgrading for all business Categories, identifying the proper methodology and external agency, interpreting results and providing product optimization guidelines. Moreover, he/she will manage consumer sensory research projects to innovate methods and increase sensory knowledge to assess Barilla brands’ product superiority.

Key Accountabilities

• Design, plan and implement Sensory consumer tests, identifying the proper testing approach and respecting timing and budget, to support business Categories in setting Barilla product's competitive edge
• Identify consumer testing external agencies and manage the agencies' network, establishing a highly reliable network of agencies with solid know-how to appropriately respond to business needs
• Identify, based on test results, optimization guidelines for products tested and provide clear indications to the internal business partners for the next step of the project
• Drive technical tasting sessions to support in the best possible way the decision path in the product development process.
• Design and drive sensory training sessions within RD&Q and other company units (marketing, supply chain, M&PI, CCC), in order to increase the sensory knowledge within the Company.
• Manage consumer sensory research projects in order to update and innovate methodologies and to increase consumer sensory science knowledge, with the final goal to guarantee that Barilla is at the forefront of sensory expertise

Requirements

• Master's degree in Food Science or equivalent field ( we can consider statistics background )
• 2+ years of experience in Sensory and Consumer research, marketing consumer research in Agency or Company
• Proven project management experience
• Analytical & Critical thinking
• Ability to plan and prioritize, excellent time management
• Assertiveness
• Good communication and presentation skills
• Fluent in English and Italian. A good knowledge of French will be highly preferred
• Confident handling of MS Office, in particular PowerPoint and Excel.

At Barilla, we are committed to creating an inclusive and equitable workplace where diversity in all its forms is valued and embraced. Our employment policies and practices are designed to ensure equal employment opportunities for all, regardless of age, race, color, citizenship, faith, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or characteristics of expression, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information, medical condition, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. Our commitment to equal employment stems from our unwavering belief that it is not only the right thing to do, but it is also a fundamental driver of innovation and business success.