Senior

Scientist

Who they are

Amano Enzyme manufactures and sells enzymes for customers all over the world

Enzymes are a type of protein that are present in all living things. They support the essential processes of life by functioning as catalysts to facilitate chemical reactions. Enzymes are used in many different industries, including pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and food processing. As they strive to shape a more recycling-oriented society, enzymes are attracting a lot of interest for their ability to promote a wide variety of chemical reactions without the need for extremely high temperatures and pressures.

Deeply rooted in a culture and tradition of living in harmony with nature and treating resources as precious, they want to enrich people’s lives materially and spiritually, by creating new value with enzymes.

Since its establishment in 1899, they have continued researching and developing enzymes in Japan, a country rich in fermentation culture. As a leading enzyme manufacturer in Asia, they will continue their relentless efforts into the future.

Amano Enzyme is in five countries across the world. In addition to its head office in Japan, it has bases in the US, the UK, China, and Thailand.
They have production plants in Japan, China, and the US. All of their bases are equipped with R&D capabilities, as well as comprehensive support systems that enable them to tailor enzyme functions to the specific needs of different regions or customers.

In accordance with its philosophy of tomoiki (harmonious coexistence), Amano Enzyme is dedicated to business activities that promote the sustainable growth and development of society.

As a leading force in the enzyme industry, they strive for global environmental protection by assessing the impact of their development, procurement, manufacturing, distribution, and services as precisely as possible.

Their European office is based in Western Avenue, incorporating both office, meeting and laboratory space designed to lead the way in the development of enzyme for the region.

Job Description

The Senior Research Scientist role plays a pivotal role in advancing enzyme-based solutions for food applications, leveraging analytical expertise, leadership skills, and strategic vision to drive research, development, and intellectual property management initiatives within Amano.

This is an excellent opportunity to be at the forefront of a number of key projects within a small but expert R&D team, in particular relating to dairy and non-dairy enzyme applications. There is exciting scope to collaborate with our partners in Japan and other regions.

Amano Enzyme Europe offers the right candidate the scope and freedom to make a significant impact on the enzyme market in conjunction with other internal teams such as sales, marketing and regulatory.

Some of the key responsibilities include:

• Developing novel enzyme applications tailored to address both emerging and established customer needs, specifically in a range of dairy and non-dairy products including fresh-fermented, neutral and frozen;
• Pioneering the development of analytical cutting-edge techniques by leveraging appropriate technologies;
• Collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to enhance knowledge and expertise in the utilization of enzymes in production processes and understanding customer requirements;
• Conducting detailed independent tests and analyses of enzymatic performance using diverse methodologies (e.g. GCMS, UV-vis, HPLC), adeptly resolving inherent challenges, and presenting comprehensive reports detailing methodologies, findings, and pertinent information;
•  Maintaining meticulous records of project and experimental activities in the laboratory;
• Cultivating a collaborative relationship with scientific staff at the Gifu R&D centre;
• Driving the development of both new and existing customer relationships to promote the Amano portfolio;

The ideal candidate

The ideal candidate would already have a number of years experience in commercial or academic labs.

• A Master’s degree or higher in Food Science, Chemistry, Biotechnology, Processing, or a related scientific field, with a strong background in enzyme applications, in particular relating to dairy and non-dairy.
• A profound understanding of chemical characteristics, formulations, and their impact on food properties is essential.
• Familiarity with general food industry production processes and requirements.
• Experience in application/product development, analysis, and patent-related activities within the food production industry.
• Understanding of enzymes and their applications in the food industry is advantageous.
• Knowledge of health and safety in a laboratory environment, including risk assessment and adherence to good research practices.
• Knowledge of chemical synthesis, catalysis, and biocompatible chemistry.