This Food Scientist role is an individual contributor position responsible for leading new food product development from initial concept through commercial production. The role translates customer and marketing requirements into benchtop formulations, pilot batches, plant trials, and successful commercial launches, with a strong emphasis on hands-on work in active manufacturing environments. The position focuses on bakery, pastry, frozen dessert, and related systems, ensuring products are technically sound, commercially viable, and consistently reproducible at scale.
Responsibilities
Lead end-to-end development of new food products, translating customer and marketing briefs into commercially viable formulations
Create and refine benchtop prototypes and conduct pilot-scale testing to optimize product performance
Apply food science principles to optimize ingredient functionality, sensory attributes, product stability, and manufacturability
Develop bakery and dessert systems, including doughs, laminated and crumb crusts, fruit fillings, custards and cream systems, emulsions, stabilizers, and freeze-thaw products
Design and formulate private-label products based on customer specifications, target attributes, manufacturing capabilities, and price points
Own the full development lifecycle for new products, including concept, benchtop, pilot, plant trials, scale-up, first commercial runs, and post-launch specification runs
Lead plant-scale trials and troubleshoot issues involving formulas, ingredients, equipment, or manufacturing processes
Be present onsite during critical first production runs to ensure successful scale-up and reproducibility
Translate benchtop formulations into robust, repeatable commercial manufacturing processes
Document lessons learned, process changes, and corrective actions following trials to support continuous improvement
Develop and validate shelf-life requirements for new and existing products
Evaluate key shelf-life parameters such as water activity, pH, freeze-thaw stability, thaw-and-serve performance, and microbiological shelf life
Collaborate with Quality teams and third-party laboratories to validate product code dates and shelf-life claims
Immediately escalate any food safety, allergen, or labeling concerns to appropriate stakeholders
Support nutritional analysis and regulatory labeling activities for new and existing products
Review ingredient statements and allergen declarations to ensure accuracy and compliance
Verify packaging proofs to confirm that labeling, claims, and ingredient information are correct
Ensure finished product specifications align with applicable food safety and regulatory requirements
Partner with Quality to establish finished product standards and specifications, including written specifications, product tolerances, reference photographs, preparation instructions, and baking instructions
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Ensure products manufactured across multiple facilities meet consistent quality and performance standards
Build Bills of Material (BOMs) for new products and maintain accurate formulation documentation
Calculate and evaluate ingredient costs, partnering with Finance to ensure formulations meet margin expectations
Reformulate products when necessary to meet cost targets while maintaining product quality and integrity
Provide technical support to Sales for private-label product development and customer discussions
Partner with Purchasing and Quality to evaluate and qualify new ingredients and suppliers
Support ingredient qualification testing and develop secondary sources for critical ingredients
Assess ingredient functionality, quality, cost, and manufacturing performance to ensure reliable supply and product consistency
Serve as a technical R&D resource when production issues arise, supporting active manufacturing operations
Diagnose formulation, ingredient, process, or equipment variables that affect finished product quality
Develop corrective actions, implement changes, and document updates to prevent recurrence of production issues
Work cross-functionally with Production, Quality, Sales, Purchasing, and Finance to support successful product launches and ongoing manufacturing
Travel periodically to other manufacturing facilities to support trials, first runs, and ongoing production needs
Requirements
Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Culinary Science, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional pastry credentials combined with demonstrated commercial formulation experience
At least 3 years of food product development, R&D, or culinary development experience within a commercial food manufacturing environment
Demonstrated experience taking products from concept or benchtop through pilot trials, plant trials, scale-up, and full commercialization
Strong formulation skills and hands-on troubleshooting abilities in an active manufacturing environment
Experience developing product specifications, formulas, and manufacturing processes for commercial food products
Solid understanding of food manufacturing and scale-up principles, including the transition from lab to plant
Working knowledge of food safety requirements, GMP principles, allergens, nutritional analysis, and FDA labeling regulations
Ability to review and support accurate ingredient statements, allergen declarations, and regulatory labeling
Experience building Bills of Material (BOMs) and evaluating formulation and ingredient costs
Comfort working within active food production facilities, including participation in plant trials and first production runs
Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams, including Production, Quality, Sales, Purchasing, and Finance
Demonstrated skills in bakery and frozen dessert product development, including dough and crust formulation and fruit fillings
Valid driver's license and ability to travel up to 25%, including multi-day trips to manufacturing facilities
Strong experimental design, problem-solving, and analytical skills for formulation and process troubleshooting
Clear written and verbal communication skills for documentation, specifications, and cross-functional collaboration
Nice to have:
Bakery, pastry, pie, or frozen dessert development experience in a commercial setting
Strong understanding of bakery ingredient functionality and how ingredients interact in complex systems
Hands-on experience with doughs, crust systems, fillings, custards, emulsions, stabilizers, and hydrocolloids
Experience developing freeze-thaw stable products and thaw-and-serve items
Experience in private-label food manufacturing and customer-driven product development
Familiarity with HACCP, PCQI, or SQF programs; related certifications are a plus
Experience supporting multiple manufacturing facilities and ensuring product consistency across sites
Ability to interpret and apply FDA labeling requirements and related regulatory standards
Comfort with traveling regularly to support plant trials and production runs at remote facilities
Interest in contributing to the growth and modernization of an expanding R&D laboratory and product portfolio
Benefits
Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
401(k) with matching
Paid time off
Annual performance bonus
Important Details
Schedule: Monday-Friday standard business hours, with occasional flexibility to support plant trials and first production runs as needed
Contract: Permanent
Application deadline: Nov 2, 2026
Work Environment
This role is based onsite in Silverton, Oregon, working primarily in an R&D laboratory and active food production facilities
The R&D lab is scheduled for an expansion and renovation at the end of 2026, which will include a dedicated private office for the Food Scientist and an upgraded workspace
The work environment involves frequent interaction with production lines, equipment, and bakery and dessert manufacturing processes, requiring comfort in active plant settings
Travel to manufacturing facilities in Georgia occurs approximately once a month for up to three days at a time, typically a few months after hire to allow time for onboarding and local integration
About the Company
Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. They help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. They are an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for their engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.
