Grain Researcher

We are committed to creating a vibrant working environment where all employees are passionate and excited about their contribution. Our on-going aim is to be recognised as a leading FMCG employer and to create a working environment where people feel free to share ideas and goals.

A career opportunity has arisen in the **Quality Assurance and Control Department - Premier Vereeniging Mill - Vereeniging. **This position is responsible to ensure milling of best cost and quality grain products for our customers by establishing a researched knowledge base of all relevant grains available nationally and internationally and providing guidance or advise to the grain procurement team based on testing and interpretation of results.


**Qualification Requirements**:

- Bachelor in Food Science
- SANS17205

**Experience Requirements**:

- 2-5 years Testing in Food / Agricultural laboratory in FMCG industry

**Key Outputs**:
**To guide best cost procurement and product supply to our customers by**:

- Arranging collection and receiving samples of all existing grains as well as those in the procurement supply chain
- Collating and testing grain samples and recording results
- Establishing a centralised calibrated and verified data base of all existing grain types, product characteristics, gritting results and mill ability thereof
- Analysing and comparing how the grains perform
- Reporting findings to the milling technical team and grain procurement team

**To increase milling profitability and margins by informing future procurement tactics through**:

- Leveraging existing data base to perform predictions and identify opportunities to amend sourcing based on the modelling
- Predicting product quality between commercial and lab milled wheat
- Predict whether product characteristics will meet customer requirements and conform to our milling specifications
- Guide improvement of milling specifications in collaboration with the milling technical team
- Research emerging suppliers’ grains and compare with Premier customer requirements and milling specifications

**To conduct fact finding process required for the return of problematic grains by**:

- Conducting occasional field research
- Analysing grain samples
- Comparing it with the specification
- Comparing current sample with historical data from the same supplier source
- Reporting findings and recommendations

**Support Research and Development teams with product development by**:

- Acting as project team member responsible to test products to determine the grain properties required to produce this product most effectively
- Experimenting with blends to meet customer specifications
- Use scientific methodologies to support recommendations to the team

**To meet customer requirements by predicting flour performance through**:

- Performing test baking under controlled circumstances
- Determining and comparing the baking quality of the grains
- Experimenting with blends to meet customer specifications
- Report findings to the milling technical team
- Maintain and develop data base of all tests performed