Sr. Research and Development Scientist

About This Role

This senior role in research and development focuses on advancing technical platforms, researching ingredients, and assessing process feasibility for snack and confectionery products. The scientist develops scalable scientific solutions to support the company's innovation pipeline, focusing on early-stage formulation science, functionality modeling, and technical risk mitigation before commercialization. The position operates within the Technical & Research Team and collaborates with the Product Development & Commercialization Team during scale-up and launch readiness phases.

Responsibilities

• Support the Research & Technical Development Lead in building and optimizing core technology platforms (e.g., probiotic systems, fiber-enriched systems, sugar reduction systems, hydrocolloid systems, protein-enhanced systems)
• Conduct ingredient functionality studies to understand structure-function relationships
• Develop reusable technical frameworks that enable multiple pipeline products
• Design and optimize complex formulations for snack and confectionery applications
• Investigate texture stability, moisture migration, hydrolysis risks, glass transition behavior, and shelf-life quality indicators
• Conduct structured root cause analysis for technical performance issues
• Translate scientific findings into scalable formulation strategies
• Evaluate processing parameters (e.g., heating time, vacuum, Brix, pH, Aw) to ensure technical robustness
• Identify potential scalability constraints early in development
• Support pilot-scale validation and collaborate with commercialization teams as needed
• Design preliminary accelerated and real-time stability studies
• Establish quality benchmarks for texture, moisture, color, and API ingredients
• Partner with Product Development during transition from research to commercialization
• Provide technical input to embedded analytical and compliance resources
• Support supplier technical assessments and ingredient validation
• Maintain accurate and complete formulation documentation in designated systems
• Develop detailed technical reports and risk assessments for internal review

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field
• 2–4+ years of experience in snack and/or confectionery and/or gummy and/or bars R&D
• Strong knowledge of hydrocolloids, fiber systems, sugar reduction systems, and moisture control mechanisms

Nice to have:

• Experience in pilot plant or manufacturing scale-up environments

Benefits

• Medical, Dental and Vision Benefits