R&D Lab Technician

Pride Health is a prominent staffing agency dedicated to connecting talented professionals with some of the largest and most reputable food and beverage companies in North America. With a strong commitment to excellence, Pride Health specializes in providing skilled candidates who can contribute meaningfully in various industry roles including research and development, quality assurance, and production. By leveraging extensive industry knowledge and deep connections within the food and beverage sector, Pride Health ensures that both employers and employees achieve optimal matches that promote career growth and organizational success.

This particular opportunity is for the position of an R&D Lab Technician, based in Glenview, Illinois, working on-site. This is a 12-month contract role with the possibility of extension, offering a competitive pay range between $35.29 and $40.44 per hour. The technician will work 40 hours per week from Monday to Friday, generally during the hours of 8 AM to 4 PM, although hours may vary slightly depending on specific project demands.

The R&D Lab Technician plays a critical role in supporting the innovation and quality improvement processes of the company. The primary focus of this position is on sample preparation and analysis for beverages and desserts. Responsibilities include precise measuring of ingredients using analytical balances, heating, mixing, cooling, packaging, labeling, and storing samples. The technician also manages dilutions with pipettors, coordinates shipments, and maintains detailed logs in the laboratory information management system. Attention to detail is essential due to the nature of shelf-life testing, which involves preparing samples, documenting results diligently, managing the clean-up process post-testing, and keeping inventory on material conditions and quantities.

Beyond laboratory tests, the technician provides vital support during pilot plant trials. These trials require hands-on involvement in mixing, labeling, packaging, shipping samples, and conducting bench-top analytical tests such as measuring pH, titratable acidity, Brix (sugar content), colorimetry, and density. Physical fitness is necessary to handle ingredient weights ranging from 5 to 50 pounds. Flexibility in scheduling is also required for early-morning trials beginning before 8 AM.

Maintaining a well-organized and safe laboratory environment is an ongoing duty. This includes ensuring cleanliness, performing weekly calibrations of balances, creating maintenance work orders, conducting monthly safety inspections, and systematically managing ingredient and chemical inventories. The technician is also tasked with updating specifications for materials, formulas, and traded products to maintain accuracy in all records, while coordinating cross-functional approvals as needed.

Additional responsibilities include performing graphic reviews to verify nutrition facts panels, ingredient lists, and product information against official reports and conducting data entry and analysis utilizing Microsoft Office tools including Excel. The technician must be proficient in converting units, calculating averages, and scaling formulations to meet various experimental targets. Comfort and familiarity with the entire Microsoft Office suite, including PowerPoint, Outlook, and Forms, are required to efficiently complete reporting and communication tasks.

This role is best suited for a candidate with a high school diploma and prior laboratory experience. Strong communication skills, computer proficiency, excellent time management capabilities, adaptability when working with diverse teams, and a keen eye for detail are essential qualities. Candidates who demonstrate natural curiosity and a proactive approach in learning and problem-solving will thrive in this dynamic and engaging role. By joining Pride Health as an R&D Lab Technician, professionals can expect a rewarding career path within a leading-edge sector of the food and beverage industry, backed by comprehensive benefits and opportunities for growth.