SVITLANA KOVALENKO

Work History

Senior Innovation Manager

Zevia, PBC

Encino, CA

04.2022 - Current

Responsible for meeting targets and deadlines set forward in the overall product development plans for the Innovation Department
Work cross-functionally with internal teams, including Marketing and Supply Chain, as well as with external suppliers, co-packers and consultants
Facilitate all basic research and development projects undertaken within the Innovation Department and work with Innovation and Marketing team members to integrate them into Product development projects
Manage a highly collaborative environment within the organization to increase contribution and value creation
Manage laboratory daily task lists and the Innovation lab team to get things done
Maintain laboratory inventory and upkeep
Develop and manage a laboratory safety program and monitor compliance
Develop, coordinate and implement improvement strategies for innovation and development objectives
Ensure new and ongoing projects are resourced and on time and manage day to day and longer-term laboratory activities based on a stage gate product development program
Collaborate and coordinate with Innovation Team staff to ensure new products processes are tested in applications and are included in overall product development considerations
Improve efficiency in the PD process through continuous improvement
Review the job performance of direct reports and make recommendations to the senior management on employee development needs and any pay adjustments
Develop and deliver professional presentations to senior management or others within the organization to share updates on various projects, including findings, conclusions, recommended decisions and project statuses, etc.

Innovation Project Leader

Dole Packaged Foods, LLC

Westlake Village, CA

03.2020 - 04.2022

Kicked off and manage projects of various degree of complexity, from market research and R&D to commercialization
Supported marketing team in all consumer research efforts and create product design strategy that is aligned with consumer research trends
Collaborated and engage with marketing, sales teams and customers at different levels and touch points to assure accurate and on-time delivery of the products desired
Communicate project status via timeline management on a global level to all stakeholders, internally and externally
Managed all product development and innovation activities for new products, packaging and processes, including fermented beverages and next generation snacks
Managed product development and innovation for core line of business – existing steel can beverages, jarred fruit, fridge packs and fruit bowls, including cost savings initiatives and line extensions
Work closely with manufacturing (internal/external), 3rd party resources, etc
To develop, evaluate, and test products
Provided key direction to deliver on marketing and consumer/customer expectations for product experience and quality
Worked closely with the packaging engineering team to design and test structural packaging components that will maintain integrity throughout the supply chain while meeting consumer needs
Provided guidance to deliver on marketing, sales, and consumer/customer expectations for packaging reliability and quality
Developed understanding of contract manufacturing process to determine if project can be manufactured internally (make) or externally (buy)
Requested and evaluate cost of goods for all projects
Attended manufacturing trials and provide guidance on formulation and/or process changes
Provided commercialization support
Identified and implemented cost savings initiatives and manage all corresponding activities.

Food Safety Specialist

Sunkist Growers, Inc

Valencia, CA

04.2018 - 03.2020

Collaborated with R&D, Sales and Marketing teams within and outside of the Sunkist organization to launch new consumer packaged goods under Sunkist brand
Reviewed specifications, ingredient lists, food safety programs, and other technical documentation for the new and reformulated products
Coordinated laboratory testing of products and performed sensory evaluation of the samples to assure consistency in product quality and safety
Evaluated existing consumer packaged goods for compliance with domestic and international regulations and internal standards and specifications
Maintained lists of the new and existing products and manage all related technical documentation
Generated reports with product evaluation feedback and communicated the feedback to various teams within and outside of Sunkist organization
Conducted supplier approval and maintained food safety documentation for domestic and foreign suppliers of fresh fruit based on FSMA (including FSVP) requirements and company standards
Reviewed food safety audit reports and other food safety related documents, assisted facilities’ food safety teams in preparing for the audits, and participate in the inspections
Discovered trends in audit down-scores, prepared corrective actions and assisted in developing solutions for continuous improvement of food safety systems in over 30 packing facilities
Developed and modified standard operating procedures based on the latest industry and customer requirements, regulations and audit schemes’ changes
Provided training and helped facilities adopt cGMPs, better sanitation practices, sanitary design, employee health and other food safety related topics, as well as prepared for government inspections
Maintained sampling program for pesticide maximum residue levels on citrus fruit; coordinated timely sample testing for domestic and international markets
Fulfilled customer food safety and quality requests utilizing over a dozen of different platforms; created and maintained the database to track the performance
Maintained and update the recall plan and participated in mock recall exercises
Provided responses to customer complaints; maintained database of the responses and corrective actions
Participated in projects and research that can help improve food safety practices and quality of the fruit in the packinghouse environment.

Faculty, Food Chemistry and Foodservice

California State University

Northridge, CA

08.2014 - 05.2018

Prepared and conducted lectures for the graduate level Food Chemistry and Analysis course
Prepared and graded examination papers and evaluate student’s classwork
Advised students on an individual basis
Researched and delivered information to the students on new food industry trends, extracurricular activities, and scholarship opportunities in order to focus learning experience on the importance of food chemistry in resolving industry needs and challenges.

Senior Beverage Scientist

Power Brands Consulting, LLC

Sherman Oaks, CA

05.2017 - 04.2018

Advised customers on new and existing products and ingredients
Led kick off meetings with customers and sales team to initiate projects and create product briefs to assure delivery of products that accommodate all customer requirements
Managed the design, planning, and execution of complex product development projects which included full development and scale up of a variety of products – from CSD formulations, flavored and hard seltzers, to functional beverages and food items (e.g
Meal replacement products, recovery drinks and shots, high protein, shakes and baked goods)
Developed new and modified existing formulations based on variety of outputs, such as, customer requirements, federal regulations, market research and sensory analysis feedback; created and updated all the corresponding documentation, including specification sheets, batching sheets and costing sheets
Generated and modified raw data NLEA, Nutrition Facts, Supplement Facts Panels and ingredients lists for new and existing products using ESHA Genesis food processor based on previous and current FDA regulations
Assured the compliance of ingredients and final formulation with FDA and USDA regulations
Participated in production runs for new product formulations and helped troubleshooting any constrains along the way – from ingredients’ supply chain and purchasing to production and QA.

Food Research and Development and Quality Assurance Consultant

American Bounty Foods

Gardena, CA

10.2016 - 05.2017

Planed, conducted and monitored testing and inspection of materials and products to ensure finished product quality as specified but internal and external standards
Conducted sensory evaluation of incoming materials and finished products according to industry standards
Conducted analytical testing to assure product compliance with the industry standards and USDA/FDA requirements
Assured proper assignment of USDA grade standards for the incoming food products and materials
Documented all activities, create report briefs and maintain quality data logs
Developed and recommend corrective and preventive actions
Assured ongoing compliance with quality and industry regulatory requirements.

Food Scientist

Flavor Applications, Flavor Producers, Inc

Valencia, CA

03.2012 - 01.2015

Collaborated with the sales team to identify customer needs and build project/product requirements based on customer expectations
Demonstrated products to customers and adjusted/reformulated products based on customer feedback
Successfully delivered a wide range of products, including baked goods (brownie brittle and biscotti), nutritional bars (baked and raw; high protein and fruit and nut based), variety of RTDs and RTMs beverages, fortified products, incorporating extensive range of functional ingredients that met customer requirements
Developed new product ideas or product platforms using different flavor systems through ideation sessions and experimentation
Developed formulations, processing procedures and specifications for finished products in order to improve product quality, reduce cost, and meet pricing, marketing, regulatory and operational goals
Evaluated flavor systems, functional ingredients and processing techniques to identify opportunities for quality improvement, cost reduction and other product optimization
Organized and manage prototype testing to validate or modify formulas and processing procedures, to develop final specifications for the production, and to assure reproducibility of finished products
Evaluated organoleptic characteristics of the finished products using discrimination testing techniques
Documented project status, progress issues and developed timelines
Performed other duties as assigned, including providing customers with documents such as specification sheets, nutritional statements, natural and organic certificates, kosher and halal certificates, allergen statements, GMO statements, certificates of origin, FEMA GRAS statements, and continuing product guarantees.

Intern

Flavor Producers, Inc

Valencia, CA

02.2011 - 02.2012

Performed quality control of finished products and raw materials, including determination of moisture content, pH, flash point, boiling point, refractive index and specific gravity
Conducted environmental microbiological testing of production areas, allergen testing
Prepared certificates of analysis and material safety data sheets.

ACADEMIC RESEARCH

09.2006 - 06.2009

As a Master Student conducted research in dairy desserts for Food Technology Department
Performed analysis of physical and chemical properties of carrageenans (ability to form gel, foam), sensory properties of dairy desserts and model systems, formulation of new dairy desserts composition; performed microbiological testing, data gathering and analysis
As a Bachelor Student conducted research in fruit desserts conducted in Food Technology Department
Performed analysis of physical and chemical properties of encapsulated fruit fillers, formulation of new fruit desserts composition, data gathering and analysis.

Summary

Overview

Work History

Senior Innovation Manager

Innovation Project Leader

Food Safety Specialist

Faculty, Food Chemistry and Foodservice

Senior Beverage Scientist

Food Research and Development and Quality Assurance Consultant

Food Scientist

Intern

Education

Master of Science - Food Science, Nutrition and Dietetics

Master of Science - Food Technology and Engineering

Bachelor of Science - Food Technology and Engineering

Bachelor of Science - Accounting and Auditing

Skills

Certification

Software

Timeline

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