Associate Scientist / Meat application

Kerry Group; Beloit (KS); On-site; USD 70,000 - 109,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Paid time off

401(k) with company contribution

Employee Share Plan

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Kerry Group in Beloit, KS is seeking a Meat Science/Product Development specialist to work on processing equipment, sausage, turkey, roast beef, and other meat applications. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver innovative meat solutions and support customer-facing projects.

The role requires a Bachelor’s in Meat/Animal/Food Science or related field, 1–5 years of experience in meat product development, and hands-on lab and pilot plant experience in USDA-regulated

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Meat Science, Animal Science, Food Science, Food Process Engineering, or related field.
• Hands-on experience with meat processing, food processing, formulation, or product development.
• 1–5 years of experience in food or meat product development, processing, applications, or manufacturing environments.
• Experience working in pilot plant, meat processing, manufacturing, or USDA-regulated environments.
• Understanding of ingredient functionality including proteins, collagen, stocks, broths, starches, gums, flavors, and food protection systems.
• Foundational knowledge of food chemistry, meat science, microbiology, sensory science, and food processing.
• Experience conducting and documenting experiments in a structured, scientific manner.
• Mechanical aptitude and comfort operating, troubleshooting, and maintaining pilot plant and processing equipment.
• Experience working directly with customers or supporting customer-facing innovation projects.

Responsibilities

• Support and execute application and innovation projects from experimental design through trial execution, data analysis, and communication of results across meat and poultry applications.
• Conduct hands-on development work in laboratory, pilot plant, and meat processing environments, including product formulation, processing, and evaluation.
• Design and perform application trials, interpreting results to translate scientific insights into practical, scalable solutions that meet customer and market needs.
• Develop and optimize products including processed meat applications such as sausages, deli meats, turkey, roast beef, and other protein systems.
• Provide technical support for customer and commercial projects, including troubleshooting, product optimization, and participation in technical discussions and customer presentations.
• Collaborate with Applications, Culinary, Commercial, Marketing, Sensory, Regulatory, and R&D teams to execute projects aligned with business objectives.
• Document and communicate technical findings through reports, trial summaries, and presentations for both technical and non-technical audiences; participate in sensory programs and product evaluations.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives involving laboratory methods, pilot plant operations, and application workflows.
• Support customer visits, demonstrations, and application trials at Kerry and customer locations.
• Maintain a safe, clean, and organized work environment while adhering to quality, food safety, and environmental standards.

Skills

Meat processing

Food processing

Product development

Pilot plant

Customer collaboration

Meat science

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Meat Science/Animal Science/Food Science

Job description

Requisition ID: 65292
Position Type: (US)Full Time
Workplace Arrangement: #LI-Onsite

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

This role is ideal for someone with a background in Meat Science, Animal Science, or Food Science who enjoys working directly with meat products, processing equipment, and product development activities. You will gain exposure to sausage, turkey, roast beef, and other processed meat applications while partnering closely with cross-functional teams and customers to deliver innovative solutions.

You will be part of a collaborative RD&A team focused on developing and applying Food Protection, Taste, and Functional ingredient solutions for the Meat market, supporting both customer innovation and commercial product optimization.

Key responsibilities

• Support and execute application and innovation projects from experimental design through trial execution, data analysis, and communication of results across meat and poultry applications.
• Conduct hands-on development work in laboratory, pilot plant, and meat processing environments, including product formulation, processing, and evaluation.
• Design and perform application trials, interpreting results to translate scientific insights into practical, scalable solutions that meet customer and market needs.
• Develop and optimize products including processed meat applications such as sausages, deli meats, turkey, roast beef, and other protein systems.
• Provide technical support for customer and commercial projects, including troubleshooting, product optimization, and participation in technical discussions and customer presentations.
• Collaborate with Applications, Culinary, Commercial, Marketing, Sensory, Regulatory, and R&D teams to execute projects aligned with business objectives.
• Document and communicate technical findings through reports, trial summaries, and presentations for both technical and non-technical audiences.Participate in sensory programs and product evaluations to support application development and validation.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives involving laboratory methods, pilot plant operations, and application workflows.
• Support customer visits, demonstrations, and application trials at Kerry and customer locations.
• Maintain a safe, clean, and organized work environment while adhering to quality, food safety, and environmental standards.

Qualifications and skills

• Bachelor's degree in Meat Science, Animal Science, Food Science, Food Process Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Hands-on experience with meat processing, food processing, formulation, or product development through academic projects, internships, research programs, or industry experience.
• Strong interest in meat science, meat processing, and applied product development.
• 1–5 years of experience in food or meat product development, processing, applications, or manufacturing environments.
• Experience working in pilot plant, meat processing, manufacturing, or USDA-regulated environments.
• Understanding of ingredient functionality including proteins, collagen, stocks, broths, starches, gums, flavors, and food protection systems.
• Foundational knowledge of food chemistry, meat science, microbiology, sensory science, and food processing.
• Experience conducting and documenting experiments in a structured, scientific manner.
• Mechanical aptitude and comfort operating, troubleshooting, and maintaining pilot plant and processing equipment.
• Experience working directly with customers or supporting customer-facing innovation projects.

The pay range for this position is $70,100- $109,050 in Annual Salary. Kerry typically does not hire an individual at the top or near the top of the range, as we are a pay-for-performance company, and this range is set to continue to reward performance annually while in role. Compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. The specific compensation offered to a candidate within the above range may be influenced by a variety of factors including skills, qualifications, experience, and internal equity. Kerry offers a competitive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, paid time off, a 401(k) plan with employee and company contribution opportunities, Employee Share Plan, Life, disability, and accident insurance, and tuition reimbursement. This job posting is anticipated to expire on January 30th, 2027.

Kerry is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law. Kerry will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the United States for this opening. Any offer of employment is conditional upon the successful completion of a background investigation and drug screen. Additional information can be found at: Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal (dol.gov) .