Inoculation Laboratory Supervisor (Rochester, MN, US, 55901) bei Kerry Group - Taste & Nutrition Ingredients and Science

About Kerry

Where will you work?

Our Rochester, MN location is part of our Foundational Technologies Division and specializes in fermented ingredients for products related to the bio-science industry. Our team is proud of the work they do and have a focus on clean label or natural products ensuring freshness.

What will you do?

Supervise the Inoculation Laboratory, preparation, cultures maintenance and seed media preparation. You’ll be working in the Fermentation Process Technology group in partnership with relevant teams to develop and optimize processes for multi-functional fermented and spray dried food ingredients, which will be achieved through pilot scale and factory trials.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & People Development

• Supervise, mentor, and develop inoculation laboratory staff, including the Quality Technicians and graduates.
• Foster a culture of accountability, enthusiasm, and continuous learning.
• Provide clear direction, set priorities, and ensure team alignment with departmental and site goals.

Laboratory & Strain Management

• Oversee seed train preparation, inoculation scheduling, and resource management.
• Ensure minimum stock levels of lab consumables; communicate and implement capital needs.
• Maintain culture collections, backups, and ensure best practices for strain integrity.
• Lead strain library improvements – strain development and formulation optimization.
• Ensure compliance with aseptic technique, microbiological standards, and laboratory safety practices.

Process Development & Technical Support

• Design and execute experiments to support new product development, process optimization, yield improvement, and cost reduction initiatives.
• Apply molecular and microbiological methods to characterize, maintain, and improve microbial strains used in fermentation.
• Support pilot plant and production scale-ups, troubleshooting issues and providing technical expertise.
• Monitor and report on in-process contaminations and escalate to appropriate teams to eliminate occurrences.

Project & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead and manage laboratory-related projects from concept through commercialization.
• Partner with Operations, Manufacturing, Process Engineering, Quality, R&D, and Business teams to deliver innovative solutions.
• Communicate results clearly through reports and presentations and contribute to intellectual property development.
• Drive efficiency and consistency through protocol optimization, training, and lean methodologies.
• Identify and implement best practices in inoculation and fermentation processes, as well as improvement projects.

What will you need to be successful?

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in microbiology, food science, biochemistry or related.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in the food development industry with at least 3 of them at a supervisor level.
• Ability to work with cross-functional teams at multi levels within the organization.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Attention to detail, proactive and self-motivated.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and SAP.
• Flexibility in working hours and days to come in during weekends.

Compensation Data

The typical hiring range for this role is $75,602 to $123,432 annually and is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, location, etc. In addition to your pay, Kerry offers benefits such as a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and retirement contribution (all benefits and incentives are subject to eligibility requirements).