Taylor Kern Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Il, Us

Chicago, Il, Us

Leading innovation and renovation projects in liquid concentrate and ready-to-drink beverages.

Chicago, Il, Us

Contributes to KraftHeinz’s Environment Social Governance (ESG) goals of reducing sugar and sourcing sustainable materials by developing formulations and processes used to produce Liquid Concentrates and RTD Beverages. Develops standardized procedures for analytical testing of beverage products and with cross-functional team determines how these methods may be applied to future research.Delivered >$1MM in ingredient cost savings for 2022.Developed New Employee Orientation (NEO) guide for onboarding which is used for all new hires in R&D and Quality at KH’s Glenview Innovation Center. Engaged biweekly with 60+ employees across 2 R&D facilities through fun events and newsletters.Awards:2x Recognized as Kids Snacking & Beverages “Most Valuable Team” Member, Q3 & Q4 2021

Chicago, Il, Us

Supporting Flavorful Hydration (liquid concentrates and ready-to-drink beverages) platform, I have developed over $1.5MM of cost-saving formulations and collaborated with our manufacturing facilities in order to address issues in supply continuity, beverage processing, and optimization of formulas. I have also taken on the role of lab manager, supporting my team by managing our contact tracing documentation during the pandemic and keeping up with general laboratory maintenance/best practice development for the beverages team. Outside of my role’s responsibilities, I strive to keep teammates engaged while in a virtual working environment as the lead for the Kids, Snacking & Beverage (KSB) R&D Fun Team. Additionally I contribute to onboarding of new hires as a coach and leadership team member for our R&D New Employee Orientation (NEO) program.

Chicago, Il, Us

R&D Knowledge Management (Knowledge and Capabilities Team)- Acts as liaison between Research & Development and Legal for all Kraft Heinz intellectual property while ensuring timely and accurate execution of technical documentation- Leads support of intellectual property needs across R&D, including managing patent searches, supporting maintenance of current patent estate, and coordinating legal documentation requirements- Designed SharePoint site for North American R&D to centralize information, making resources and tools easily accessible- Provides all training for company’s North American R&D (approximately 300 people), relating to documentation systems, software, and ongoing user support

Raleigh, North Carolina, Us

Worked part-time with the Stevenson Laboratory at NC State University during my senior year. - Designed learning modules to provide food auditors with the experiential learning of Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 21 applications using virtual reality training simulations- Recorded test results and maintained appropriate documentation with meticulous attention to detail, ensuring highest accuracy of food safety- Collaborated with team members using Basecamp project management software and Google Drive, providing weekly updates to both internal teams and external stakeholders

Raleigh, North Carolina, Us

Designed food science-oriented learning opportunities for the Global Village at NC State University.

Raleigh, North Carolina, Us

- Prepared food samples and designed questionnaires used in contract research studies for industry clients including consumer taste panels, trained descriptive analysis panels, and analytical testing- Provided support to lab manager and graduate students in their research using data entry and statistical analysis to provide external partners (including but not limited to Butterball, McDonald’s, Talking Rain) with consumer insights- Collaborated with laboratory staff to gather data from sensory panels and establish conclusions between work in sensory and instrumental analysis

Raleigh, North Carolina, Us

- Provided quality customer service to patrons via phone and walk-in, accurately processed large payments to sell gym memberships and various UREC services, and served as an ambassador for healthy lifestyles on campus

Camden, Nj, Us

- Uncovered solutions to technical challenges through application of experimental designs and data analysis, resulting in increased throughput at the manufacturing level- Validated five new IQF vegetable vendors, resulting in $60,000 cost savings- Supported pilot plant trials and consumer location testing for new soup snacking innovation product, resulting in the successful commercialization of 5 new SKUs launched in 2019.- Collaborated with immediate and cross-functional team members, participating in trainings and benchtop prototyping with beverage, meal, and sauce product development

Munich, De

- Conducted sensory and technological analyses of food products after preparation and cooking in Bosch and Thermador branded ovens to evaluate oven performance- Recorded and analyzed colorimeter and reflectometer data using Spectramagic NX and Minitab 17 software to develop consumer acceptability ranges for baked goods- Maintained records of tests and communicated results to product development engineers in order to improve test procedures and appliance design

­- Converted electronic patient data to a new database utilizing remote access while attending college as a full­-time student-­ Processed patient, insurance, and medical records and payment under HIPAA-­compliant standards, communicated effectively with patients in-­person and via phone and email

Raleigh, North Carolina, Us

- Efficiently processed transactions while maintaining an accurate cash drawer and prepared frozen desserts for customers.

Matthews, North Carolina, Us

- Promoted from Cashier (May 2013); Managed a team of 10 employees, efficiently processed large transactions and communicated with customers and managers to resolve problems

Bachelor’S Degree, Food Science And Technology

Study Abroad

High School, Advanced Placement