Associate Development Scientist

Symrise AG; Hodges (SC); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Symrise AG in Hodges, SC, is seeking a Development Scientist to develop new products and optimize current solutions within our development procedures and stage gate process. You will autonomously manage projects, propose improvements to processes and products, and provide technical support across departments while coordinating with customers and suppliers.

The role emphasizes leading scale-up efforts, collaborating with the Sales team, and driving continuous improvement in R&D operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in food processing, food sciences and technologies, chemistry, and/or animal nutrition is required.
• Master's degree is preferred.
• 1 to 3 years' work experience within R&D and/or innovation in a food-related environment is required.
• Experience in pet food and/or in flavor is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage new product implementation from pilot phase to industrialization and launch.
• Coordinate pilots, coatings and tests planning; ensure project traceability and paperwork.
• Interpret analytical results and report to management.
• Coordinate scale-up and industrialization of new products.
• Interact with customers alongside sales to provide technical support.
• Interact with suppliers to qualify new ingredients.
• Provide technical support to internal customers on production, quality, and supply chain.

Job description

Symrise is a global supplier of fragrances, flavors, food, nutrition, and cosmetic ingredients. Its clients include manufacturers of perfumes, cosmetics, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals and producers of nutritional supplements and pet food.

Its sales of about €5 billion in the 2025 fiscal year make Symrise a leading global provider. Headquartered in Holzminden, Germany, the Group is represented by more than 100 locations in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, the United States and Latin America.

Symrise works with its clients to develop new ideas and market-ready concepts for products that form an integral part of everyday life. Economic success and corporate responsibility are inextricably linked as part of this process.

Your role

Position Summary

The Development Scientist will develop new products and optimize current solutions in accordance with our development procedures and respecting our stage gate process. Follow-up autonomously assigned projects in accordance with Development and Technical Services Manager guidelines and decisions. Make propositions for continuously improving our process, products, and programs. Ensure technical support to all departments. Manage customer projects in direct communication with customers or direct communication with suppliers. Collaborates in the scale-up and industrialization of new processes and new products.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

A) PROJECT MANAGEMENT and FORMULATION

• Manage new product implementation from the pilot phase to the Industrialization and all the way to Launch (performance, cost, time, return on investment, process capability, quality control, etc.).
• Responsible for project execution: pilots, coatings and tests planning; project traceability, paperwork management.
• Interpret pal tests, analytical results and make projects synthesis to report to management and share during project reviews.
• Coordinate the scale-up and industrialization of new products.
• Interact with customers alongside the sales team to provide product recommendation or technical support when requested.
• Interact with suppliers to qualify new ingredients and suppliers.
• Interact with internal customers to provide technical support on production, quality, supply chain challenges.

C) INITIATIVES:

• To propose and lead the actions to improve the R&D organization.
• To report to management about any malfunctioning of the system and take relevant short term corrective action and propose long term options.
• To constantly improve the communication system (paperwork, computers…)
• Follow up in autonomy for own R&D projects and make decisions independently on how to pursue.
• To take on other projects and develop skills in other business area when requested by the Development and Technical Services Manager

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in food processing, food sciences and technologies, chemistry, and/or animal nutrition is required. Master's degree is preferred.
• 1 to 3 years' work experience within R&D and/or innovation in a food-related environment is required. Experience in pet food and/or in flavor (working with meat and/or yeast) is strongly preferred and will be prioritized.
• Proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams).
• Industrial environment background (production management, production optimization, process engineering) is a plus.

Become part of our open and transparent culture. It will give you the opportunity to flourish and to develop inspiring experiences that contribute to the health and well-being of consumers in 160 countries around the world. Putting our employees in focus fuels our strong company growth above market rates and makes us an excellent place to develop your career.

Come join us and embark on a fascinating journey with Symrise.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.