Director of the Department for Scientific Development

The Royal Mount Vema Department of Science and Technology, seeks to appoint a Product and Process Development Scientist, to work on  improving the efficiency and profitability of products that will be used every day in Mount Vema and beyond.
 
You will oversee, coordinate, and provide assistance to Mount Vema manufacturing companies and their need to develop, understand and control the processes used to make a diverse range of products, including food, medicine, cosmetics and more.
 
As the Director of the Scientific Division, you will also aim to optimise the performance of all manufacturing systems of His Mount Vema Majesty’s realm. You will do this by identifying and in liaison with the private sector, develop new processes for product manufacture, and implement process controls to ensure the products made by the Kingdom of Mount Vema are of a high quality and produced in a way that can be accurately replicated.
 
In product development, you will work with research scientists of your Department to develop new ideas and make scientific discoveries to aid the manufacture of new products and improve existing ones, especially those who are harmless to the environment.
 
Mount Vema citizenship is not a requirement to apply for this vacancy.
 
Responsibilities
You will need to carry out the following tasks:
In process development, you will:

• devise new processes, or refine existing ones, to optimise the manufacturing process
• plan, carry out and supervise process trials in laboratories, pilot plants or factories
• scale up the production process via plant trials, making changes to raw materials or components, and process parameters to ensure quality is maintained during large-scale production
• improve yields by reducing costs, e.g. investigating alternative materials or new machinery to improve efficiency and quality in bottleneck areas
• devise test methods to assess the production process
• validate new processes and show that they are an improvement
• work with product pipelines at various stages of development
• develop formulae, specifications and label declarations, and ensure compliance with the finished product specifications
• advise on equipment modification to enable process changes for new product development
• read and write technical reports and specifications, maintaining appropriate records
• initiate and generate ideas based on reading and research.

 
In product development, you will:

• formulate and establish product design and performance objectives, normally in consultation with other functions, including research, marketing and production, as well as contractors, suppliers and customers
• respond to customer requirements, liaising with suppliers of raw materials and resolving production problems
• conduct test protocols and procedures and product evaluation
• transfer new technologies across a range of product categories
• write technical reports and cost estimates, documenting development work and implementing profit improvement programmes
• generate data to substantiate claims regarding the safety and efficiency of new products (this applies particularly to the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector)
• oversee the integration of new products with other commercial areas, including brand development, sales strategy, quality assurance, legal, marketing and manufacturing.

 
Both roles (process and product development) can involve presenting ideas to senior staff, training and supervising new team members or more junior staff and reading trade press or attending conferences to keep up to date with industry developments.
 
Salary and Benefits
The salary is $70,000 US dollars. Paid monthly in arrears.
The benefits include paid medical coverage, paid vacation, sick days, holidays, and a pension plan. Benefits are only applicable after you complete three months on the job.
 
Working hours
You will work normal business hours 9am to 5pm (Mount Vema Time Zone = UTC+1) Monday to Friday. Extra hours may be required on some occasions and may be more irregular during critical development phases or when problems arise.
 
Work Conditions
You will be provided with a private Office at a later stage however, initially you will be expected to work from home. Travel is almost always involved in this role, and therefore the work environment may vary quite dramatically day to day.
 
 Requirements
If your application is accepted, you will be required to open a bank account with a Mount Vema bank, if you do not already have a Mount Vema bank account.
 
What to expect

• The work can be stressful at times, for example when launching a new production line, overseeing several projects running concurrently or meeting a tight deadline to fulfil Department requirements.

 
Qualifications
The following subjects are relevant:

• agricultural or horticultural sciences
• applied life sciences
• biochemical and biological sciences
• marine biology
• chemical and physical sciences
• chemical, process or electrical engineering
• food science, technology or engineering
• materials science
• mechanical and production engineering
• mineral and mining engineering.

 
Skills
You will need to show:

• good communication skills for effective liaison and teamwork
• problem-solving skills, analytical skills and attention to detail
• excellent organisational skills and the ability to work on several tasks or projects concurrently
• commercial acumen and an awareness of the business value of work undertaken
• presentation skills - for presenting ideas and findings to colleagues and customers
• the ability to work well independently, with minimum supervision
• drive, enthusiasm and self-motivation
• an aptitude for mathematics and statistics and highly developed IT and technical skills.

 
Work experience
Experience in a production environment or industrial laboratory is required. It can be either as vacation work or work placement. Knowledge of good laboratory and manufacturing practice would also be helpful.