Food Scientist

About the Role

The Food Scientist plays a key role within Research & Development by developing, formulating, testing, and optimizing innovative food, beverage, nutraceutical, and dietary supplement products. This position is heavily focused on formulation development, taking products from concept through commercialization while improving taste, texture, functionality, stability, manufacturability, and overall product performance.

The ideal candidate has extensive experience creating new formulations, troubleshooting formulation challenges, conducting bench-scale development, and scaling products into manufacturing. Success in this role requires creativity, strong scientific fundamentals, and the ability to translate customer concepts into commercially viable products within a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and formulate innovative food, beverage, nutraceutical, and dietary supplement products from concept through commercialization.
• Create and optimize formulations by balancing functionality, flavor, texture, stability, nutrition, processing requirements, and cost.
• Conduct bench-scale laboratory experiments to evaluate formulation performance, manufacturability, shelf life, and overall product quality.
• Improve existing formulations by troubleshooting stability, processing, ingredient interactions, texture, flavor, viscosity, separation, and other product performance issues.
• Formulate liquid, powder, suspension, emulsion, concentrate, and other food and beverage systems depending on customer and manufacturing requirements.
• Perform analytical and physical testing including pH, Brix, viscosity, density, water activity, appearance, flavor, aroma, texture, color, and other organoleptic evaluations.
• Develop manufacturing procedures, batch sheets, processing instructions, and scale-up documentation for commercial production.
• Design and manage accelerated and real-time shelf-life and stability studies.
• Research and evaluate new ingredients, functional additives, sweeteners, proteins, flavors, stabilizers, hydrocolloids, preservatives, and processing technologies.
• Work closely with Quality, Operations, Purchasing, Manufacturing, Regulatory, and Supply Chain teams throughout product development.
• Support pilot production, process validation, commercialization, and continuous product improvement initiatives.
• Maintain detailed formulation records, laboratory notebooks, specifications, and technical documentation.
• Ensure all R&D activities comply with FDA regulations, cGMPs, HACCP principles, food safety requirements, and internal quality systems.
• Stay current on ingredient innovations, consumer trends, formulation technologies, and emerging food science research.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, Nutrition, or another related scientific discipline.
• Minimum of 5 years of Research & Development experience within food, beverage, nutraceutical, dietary supplement, ingredient, or other regulated manufacturing environments.
• Extensive experience developing and optimizing commercial food or beverage formulations.
• Strong understanding of formulation science, ingredient functionality, food chemistry, preservation systems, emulsions, hydrocolloids, proteins, sweeteners, flavors, stabilizers, and shelf-life science.
• Experience taking products from bench-top development through pilot production and commercial manufacturing.
• Experience troubleshooting formulation, processing, and manufacturing challenges.
• Knowledge of FDA regulations, cGMPs, HACCP, SQF, FSMA, and food safety requirements.
• Experience conducting analytical and physical product testing and interpreting laboratory data.
• Ability to evaluate ingredient specifications, Certificates of Analysis (COAs), and technical documentation.
• Strong analytical thinking, project management, documentation, and cross-functional communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, ERP systems, formulation databases, and laboratory documentation systems.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience in contract manufacturing (co-manufacturing) or private label food manufacturing.
• Experience developing beverages, functional foods, protein products, nutritional products, sauces, dressings, emulsions, or other shelf-stable food products.
• Familiarity with pilot plant operations, process optimization, and manufacturing scale-up.
• Knowledge of food labeling, ingredient regulations, nutritional compliance, and commercialization requirements.
• Experience using formulation software, AI tools, scientific databases, or statistical analysis software to support product development.
• Lean Six Sigma, HACCP, Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI), or other food industry certifications are a plus.