RD&A Senior Scientist Taste Fermentation

Kerry Group; Naas; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Kerry Group is seeking a Senior Scientist- Taste Fermentation to lead development of fermentation-derived savoury taste ingredients, including yeast extracts. You will drive projects from concept to commercialization, interfacing with fermentation science, food tech, manufacturing, and customer innovation.

Applicants should hold MSc/PhD in a relevant field and have hands-on fermentation experience, with strong data analysis and cross-functional communication skills.

Qualifications

• MSc or PhD in relevant science with fermentation focus.
• Hands-on fermentation experience with yeast, bacteria, or fungi.
• Strong ability to design and interpret scientific studies and translate findings into business outcomes.
• Excellent problem-solving and cross-functional communication.

Responsibilities

• Lead development, optimization, and commercialization of fermentation-derived savoury ingredients.
• Drive innovation projects from concept through laboratory development to market launch.
• Identify new technology opportunities for differentiated ingredient platforms.
• Design and execute lab, pilot, and manufacturing trials to evaluate process performance and product quality.
• Analyze data and generate insights to support project progression.
• Provide scientific troubleshooting across fermentation processes and applications.
• Communicate findings via reports, presentations, and stakeholder updates.
• Monitor emerging trends in fermentation and flavour technologies.
• Collaborate with Commercial, Business Development and Applications teams to meet customer needs.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, Procurement and Supply Chain for successful tech transfer.

Skills

Fermentation process development

Scale-up experience

Data analysis & interpretation

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Strong communication skills

Willingness to travel

Education

MSc or PhD in Fermentation, Food Science, Microbiology, Biotechnology, Bioprocess Engineering, or related

Hands-on fermentation experience with yeast, bacteria, or fungi

Experience developing and commercializing fermentation-derived food ingredients

Knowledge of savoury food systems and ingredient functionality

Experience with microbial strain development or related biotech techniques

Tools

HPLC

GC

Analytical software

Job description

About Kerry

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day we partner with customers to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products that are consumed by billions of people across the world. Our vision is to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition. A career with Kerry offers you an opportunity to shape the future of food while providing you opportunities to explore and grow in a truly global environment.

About the role

At Kerry, we're shaping the future of taste through science, innovation, and fermentation technology. We are seeking a talented Senior Scientist- Taste Fermentation to help drive the development of next-generation savoury taste ingredients, including yeast extracts and other fermentation-derived flavour solutions.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a high-impact innovation team focused on transforming emerging science into commercially successful ingredient platforms. You will lead product development projects from concept through commercialization, working at the intersection of fermentation science, food technology, manufacturing, and customer innovation.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the development, optimization, and commercialization of fermentation-derived savoury taste ingredients, including yeast extracts and natural flavour solutions.
• Drive innovation projects from concept generation through laboratory development, pilot trials, industrial scale-up, and market launch.
• Identify new technology opportunities and contribute to the Taste Fermentation innovation pipeline through the development of differentiated ingredient platforms.
• Design and execute laboratory, pilot-scale, and manufacturing trials to evaluate process performance, product quality, and ingredient functionality.
• Analyze experimental and manufacturing data, generating insights and technical recommendations that support project advancement and business decision-making.
• Provide scientific expertise and troubleshooting support across fermentation processes, ingredient manufacturing, and food applications.
• Communicate technical findings through reports, presentations, scientific summaries, and stakeholder updates.
• Monitor emerging trends and scientific developments within fermentation, savoury ingredients, biotechnology, and flavour technologies.
• Collaborate closely with Commercial, Business Development, and Applications teams to understand customer needs and translate innovation into business growth opportunities.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, Procurement, and Supply Chain teams to ensure successful technology transfer and product commercialization.

Qualifications and skills

• MSc or PhD in Fermentation, Food Science, Microbiology, Biotechnology, Bioprocess Engineering, or a related scientific discipline.
• Hands-on experience in microbial fermentation involving yeast, bacterial, or fungal systems.
• Strong experience in fermentation process development and scale-up.
• Proven ability to design, execute, and interpret scientific studies while translating findings into practical business outcomes.
• Excellent problem-solving capabilities with the ability to connect ingredient functionality, process performance, analytical data, and customer requirements.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to engage both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience working within cross-functional and multicultural teams.
• High levels of ownership, curiosity, integrity, and attention to detail.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required.

• Experience developing and commercializing fermentation-derived food ingredients, savoury taste ingredients, yeast extracts, or flavour solutions.
• Knowledge of savoury food systems and ingredient functionality across diverse food applications.
• Experience supporting pilot plant trials, manufacturing scale-up, and technology transfer activities.
• Familiarity with microbial strain development, molecular biology, or related biotechnology techniques.
• Experience with analytical and biochemical methodologies such as HPLC, GC, metabolite analysis, or related techniques.
• Experience partnering with commercial or customer-facing teams to convert technical innovation into market success.
• Proficiency with data analysis and visualization tools, including Excel and scientific software platforms.