Food Scientist

About Our Company

{company} is a manufacturer of flavors and ingredients for food and beverage manufacturers.

We are looking to hire an experienced Food Scientist who will be responsible for flavor development, food formulation, product evaluation, validation, and new food application development. We welcome candidates from a variety of backgrounds, including flavor companies and food manufacturers.

This position requires a Bachelor's Degree in Food Science or Dairy Science, or an Associate's degree in Culinary Science. A Master's degree in Food Science is highly desirable.

This position may be eligible for relocation assistance.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Evaluate and/or validate flavor and food formulations based on business needs. Work on customer-driven projects to achieve various objectives, such as formulation with new and innovative ingredients, cost reduction, product matching, flavor enhancement, flavor masking, and clean label improvements.
• Learn and use processing equipment in lab and pilot plant with minimal supervision. Scale up formulas from kitchen/lab-scale environment to pilot plant and production.
• Prepare simple application kits or develop concepts into demonstrations that can be used by sales managers during sales visits and trade events.
• Handle simple to complex flavor and food formulation projects in a timely manner. Interact with external customers, internal applications scientists, and other departments internally as needed in defining specific parameters, objectives, and timelines for projects.

Education and/or Experience:

A Master's degree (M.S.) in Food Science or equivalent with 0-3 years of experience OR

A Bachelor's degree (B.S.) with 3-5 years of experience within food research and development, or applications with food ingredient and formulations.

Competencies:

• Planning/Organizing - Prioritize and plan work activities, use time efficiently, plan for additional resources, and set goals and objectives.
• Communication & presentation skills: Communicate efficiently and effectively in front of internal team, colleagues, other departments, sales, and customers.
• Innovation - Display original thinking and creativity, meet challenges with resourcefulness, generate suggestions for improving work, develop innovative approaches and ideas, and present ideas and information in a manner that gets others' attention.
• Dependability - Follow instructions, respond to management direction, take responsibility for own actions, have a can-do attitude, keep commitments, and complete tasks on time or notify appropriate person with an alternate plan.
• Team player - Build strong relationships within the R&D department, colleagues, and internal departments such as sales, quality, regulatory, R&D, and operations.

Skills:

• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret technical procedures and SOPs.
• Ability to write reports, procedures, methods, and SOPs.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of colleagues, managers, clients, customers, sales, and the general public.
• Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Good, general computer literacy, including knowledge and understanding of Microsoft operating software programs (such as Outlook, Excel, Word, and Power Point).
• Ability to learn analytical instruments, and lab and processing equipment.

Requirements:

• 5-15 years of hands-on benchtop applications experience.
• Background in Dairy Science and experience with fermentation chemistry as well as EMC (enzyme modified cheese).
• Adaptability, collaboration, and ability to work well within a team structure.
• Effective response to management feedback and ability to adjust quickly without resistance.
• Comfortable working hands-on at the bench for full shifts, five days a week if necessary.
• Solid knowledge of dairy science, scale-up processes, and spray drying.
• Maintain a clean workspace and take responsibility for it.
• Willingness to learn, contribute, and stay resilient in a complex environment.

We Offer:

• A competitive base salary.
• Annual bonus.
• Generous PTO.
• Medical and Dental Insurance.
• 401K.
• Relocation assistance for the successful candidate.

Candidates must currently live and work inside the USA to be qualified for this job. US Citizens or US Permanent Residents are preferred. Sponsorship is NOT being offered for this role.