Sensory Panel Manager

✅ Passionate about turning consumer insights into business impact?

✅ Ready to lead client relationships and unlock new opportunities?

✅ Want a multicultural working environment with fantastic colleagues?

..... SAM has the perfect opportunity!

Who we are

SAM Sensory and Consumer Research is the leading international sensory and consumer research company specializing in food, beverages, cosmetics, personal care, and other consumer products. We have 19 proprietary state-of-the-art facilities across France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, United Kingdom, Morocco, China and the USA, and cover more than 65 countries through our network of approved partners.

SAM provides tailor-made solutions, delivering actionable guidelines to make our clients’ brands and products memorable.

SAM is a great place to work

Join SAM to work with the most competent, creative, and fun team in the industry and let your work, opinions and ideas contribute to the future of sensory and consumer research.

Become your most extraordinary self with support and development throughout your career.

Best in class

Join our very diverse team of sensory scientists, food technologists, statisticians, psychologists, sociologists, strategic thinkers, marketeers, field managers, technicians and other sensory and research experienced colleagues.

We're proud to be part of the Eurofins Group

World-leader in Testing for Life. With about 61 000 employees, Eurofins is a global leader in testing services and over the last 20 years has been one of the fastest growing companies in the world, thanks to its innovation in technology and service.

Job Summary:

As a Panel Manager, you will be working onsite at our client’s R&D facility in Clark, New Jersey. As the first point of contact for our client’s R&D team, you will be responsible for panel, project and lab management.

Role & Responsibilities:

1. Sensory Lab & Operational Management

• Manage daily operations of the sensory laboratory, ensuring readiness, organization, and compliance.
• Oversee sample handling, preparation, storage, and disposal according to protocols.
• Define and maintain reference materials for all attributes of interest
• Schedule quarterly partnership reviews
• Schedule projects with panel and create session plans, according to priorities from the client
• Inform the client as soon as possible if there are any issues with the project, products, materials, etc.
• Ensure timely scheduling and execution of all sensory sessions to meet agreed turnaround times.
• Present partnership updates and progress to date, including reporting on panel activities, panel performance and other KPIs

2. Panel Management & Performance

• Lead panel recruitment, onboarding, training, and calibration.
• Train panel coordinators on the clients ways of working
• Monitor panel performance using defined indicators (e.g., discrimination ability, repeatability, attendance).
• Oversee and communicate monthly hours of employment of panel coordinator and panelists to the client, to track budget
• Point of contact for all panelists (including weekly communication on panel schedule and hours worked)
• Maintain high levels of panelist engagement and motivation through structured feedback.
• Address panelist performance or conduct issues in a timely and professional manner.

3. Sensory Study Execution

• Implement sensory studies according to approved methodologies and research plans.
• Collaborate with internal teams to ensure proper study setup and execution.
• Create annual validation training and reports for each of the product categories
• Quality check sensory data
• Run the panel sessions, including training the panel and collecting the data
• Create online questionnaires using FIZZ
• Regularly monitor panel performance, notify the client team of any issues regarding performance or variability in the data
• Ensure data accuracy, consistency, and reliability prior to analysis and reporting.
• Support interpretation and discussion of results with the client’s sensory team as needed.

4. Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and support Panel Leaders and Technicians.
• Coordinate daily task allocation and workload management.
• Support onboarding and training new team members.
• Foster a culture of quality, accountability, and continuous improvement within the lab team.

5. Continuous Improvement & Sustainability

• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, and quality of sensory operations.
• Contribute to the standardization and optimization of onsite sensory processes.

Qualifications

• BS in Food Science, Biology, Cosmetic Science, Psychology, Marketing or related field with at least 5 years of industry experience
• Strong sensory science expertise, including experience in technical product testing, descriptive panel leadership, and sensory training.
• Solid understanding of sensory testing methodologies and statistics applied to sensory data.
• Ability to collaborate cross-functionally to support business objectives through high quality sensory insights
• Strong organizational and project management skills to manage panel dynamics
• Demonstrated flexibility and adaptability in a fast‑paced, changing environment.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage panel dynamics and multiple operational activities simultaneously.
• Ability to maintain panel objectivity and discipline, and performance consistency
• Strong leadership and communication skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and sensory software such as FIZZ®, Compusense®, or similar tools.
• Strong Analytical skills and excellent attention to detail
• Ability to adapt to changes in real-time and meet timelines.
• Confident communicator in English, both spoken and written.
• Open-minded, easy to connect with and creative mindset.
• Agile mindset and problem-solving attitude.
• Willingness and ability to work onsite at the client’s facility in Clark, NJ.
• Authorization to work in the United States indefinitely without restriction or sponsorship.

Additional Preferences:

• Experience working in the cosmetics or personal care industry
• Completion of the UC Davis Sensory and Consumer Science Certification
• Demonstrated people-management experience, including coaching, developing, and leading sensory panel teams or technical staff.