Principal Scientist Snacks

Kerry; San Juan del Río; On-site; MXN 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Kerry is seeking a Principal Scientist to lead the development of new snack products from concept to commercialization. You will design formulations, run validation trials, and coordinate with Commercial, Quality, and Operations teams.

You will manage technical documentation, scale-up processes, and evaluate ingredients and processing technologies to deliver innovative, safe, and commercially viable products.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, or related field.
• Advanced English proficiency is required.
• Experience in R&D within the food industry is required.
• Experience developing products for the snacks category.
• Knowledge of GMPs, HACCP, and food safety standards.

Responsibilities

• Receive and analyze customer briefs for new product development and reformulation projects within the snacks category.
• Develop formulations according to technical and commercial requirements established for each project.
• Lead product development projects from concept through industrial validation and commercialization.
• Maintain formulations and technical documentation within product development and specification management systems.
• Prepare, coordinate, and ship samples for customer evaluations and internal testing.
• Manage requests for physicochemical and sensory analyses required for product validation.
• Develop technical specifications, manufacturing procedures, and process instructions.
• Coordinate pilot plant trials and manufacturing validations to ensure formulation scalability.
• Evaluate alternative raw materials, functional ingredients, and processing technologies.
• Validate changes related to formulations, raw materials, packaging, and manufacturing processes.
• Provide technical support to Commercial, Quality, and Operations teams throughout product development and implementation activities.
• Manage commercialization-related activities associated with new product launches and technology transfers.

Skills

Advanced English proficiency

R&D experience in food industry

Snack product development

Flavor systems & seasoning

Snack processing technologies

Sensory evaluation methodologies

Physicochemical data interpretation

Industrial scale-up & tech transfer

Process validation

Documentation systems (Optiva)

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Engineering or related field

Tools

Optiva

Job description

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

The Principal Scientist is responsible for the development of products within the snacks category, leading innovation, duplication, and optimization projects from customer brief receipt through final validation and commercialization. This role is involved in formulation design, technical validation, industrial trials, and the documentation required to ensure the successful implementation of new products and improvements to the existing portfolio.

Key responsibilities

• Receive and analyze customer briefs related to new product development and product reformulation projects within the snacks category.
• Develop formulations according to technical and commercial requirements established for each project.
• Lead product development projects from concept through industrial validation and commercialization.
• Maintain formulations and technical documentation within product development and specification management systems.
• Prepare, coordinate, and ship samples for customer evaluations and internal testing.
• Manage requests for physicochemical and sensory analyses required for product validation.
• Develop technical specifications, manufacturing procedures, and process instructions.
• Coordinate pilot plant trials and manufacturing validations to ensure formulation scalability.
• Evaluate alternative raw materials, functional ingredients, and processing technologies.
• Validate changes related to formulations, raw materials, packaging, and manufacturing processes.
• Provide technical support to Commercial, Quality, and Operations teams throughout product development and implementation activities.
• Manage commercialization-related activities associated with new product launches and technology transfers.

Qualifications and skills

• Bachelor's degree in Food Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, or a related field.
• Advanced English proficiency.
• Experience in Research & Development within the food industry.
• Experience developing products for the snacks category.
• Knowledge of snack processing technologies, including baked, extruded, fried, and seasoned products.
• Experience in flavor systems and seasoning formulation optimization.
• Knowledge of food ingredients, functional ingredients, and ingredient systems used in snack applications.
• Experience with industrial scale-up, technology transfer, and process validation.
• Knowledge of sensory evaluation methodologies applied to product development.
• Ability to interpret physicochemical data to validate formulations and manufacturing processes.
• Experience with formulation and specification management systems such as Optiva or similar platforms.
• Experience developing technical specifications and manufacturing documentation.
• Knowledge of GMPs, HACCP, food safety requirements, and quality standards applicable to the food industry.
• Experience working with Manufacturing, Quality, and Commercial teams in food production environments.