Designer II / Scientist II - Dairy

IFF; United States; On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

401(k) plan

Parental leave

Job summary

IFF is a global leader in flavors, fragrances, food ingredients, and health & biosciences. The Dairy Designer II / Scientist II role, based in Philadelphia on-site, advances dairy and dairy alternative products from concept to commercialization, leveraging creativity, technical proficiency, and collaboration to deliver best-in-class solutions.

You will develop formulations, conduct scale-up trials, support launches, mentor junior staff, and stay ahead of industry trends.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Dairy Science, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology, or a related scientific discipline.
• Minimum seven years of experience in the food, ingredient, flavor, or consumer products industry, ideally with two years of experience in dairy, dairy alternatives, or a closely related application area.
• Demonstrated experience developing products from concept through prototype development, scale‑up, manufacturing, and commercialization.
• Demonstrated understanding of ingredient functionality, flavor systems, texture design, formulation principles, and flavor interactions in dairy and dairy alternative applications.
• Proven project management and project planning skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver successful outcomes.
• Experience supporting manufacturing environments, pilot plants, production trials, and commercial product launches.
• Excellent verbal, written, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to engage customers and cross-functional stakeholders effectively.
• Demonstrated ability to leverage creativity, innovation, and problem‑solving skills to develop customer‑focused solutions and drive commercial success.
• Ability to work onsite in laboratory and pilot plant environments five days per week.

Responsibilities

• Lead dairy and dairy alternative product development projects from concept through commercialization, utilizing strong project planning, creativity, innovation, and presentation skills to deliver best-in-class solutions for customers.
• Develop finished product formulations that incorporate IFF technologies while meeting sensory, regulatory, stability, cost, and customer requirements.
• Partner with Production, Quality Assurance, and Quality Control teams to execute scale‑up trials, support commercial launches, and address technical challenges when appropriate.
• Apply expertise in taste and texture design to create innovative prototypes and commercially successful solutions for local, regional, and strategic customers.
• Continuously expand knowledge of ingredients, customer needs, manufacturing processes, flavor interactions, and market trends within dairy and dairy alternative applications to drive innovation and business growth.
• Support category growth and innovation initiatives by evaluating emerging technologies, ingredients, and consumer trends and incorporating them into product development activities.
• Deliver product demonstrations, technical presentations, innovation workshops, and training sessions that build customer confidence and strengthen partnerships.
• Provide technical support during customer visits, plant trials, and product evaluations while translating technical concepts into practical business solutions.
• Collaborate across Research and Development, Commercial, Production, Quality, and Innovation teams while mentoring Associate Designers, Associate Scientists, and Trainee colleagues.

Skills

Flavor design

Project management

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science or related field

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Pilot plant operations

Scale-up experience

Job description

Job Summary

Are you passionate about creating innovative dairy and dairy alternative products that delight consumers and bring new ideas to life for leading food and beverage brands?

IFF is a global leader in flavors, fragrances, food ingredients, and health & biosciences. We deliver sustainable innovations that elevate everyday products.

Taste:

Crafting unique, technology-enabled flavor designs that define the identity of food and beverage brands, shape trends in flavor building and fuel market success.

The Dairy Designer II / Scientist II role is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (on-site role).

Be part of a creative, customer-focused, collaborative, and growth-oriented team where together we can achieve greatness and make a real impact. Your potential is our inspiration.

Where You’ll Make a Difference

• Lead dairy and dairy alternative product development projects from concept through commercialization, utilizing strong project planning, creativity, innovation, and presentation skills to deliver best-in-class solutions for customers.

• Develop finished product formulations that incorporate IFF technologies while meeting sensory, regulatory, stability, cost, and customer requirements.

• Partner with Production, Quality Assurance, and Quality Control teams to execute scale‑up trials, support commercial launches, and address technical challenges when appropriate.

• Apply expertise in taste and texture design to create innovative prototypes and commercially successful solutions for local, regional, and strategic customers.

• Continuously expand knowledge of ingredients, customer needs, manufacturing processes, flavor interactions, and market trends within dairy and dairy alternative applications to drive innovation and business growth.

• Support category growth and innovation initiatives by evaluating emerging technologies, ingredients, and consumer trends and incorporating them into product development activities.

• Deliver product demonstrations, technical presentations, innovation workshops, and training sessions that build customer confidence and strengthen partnerships.

• Provide technical support during customer visits, plant trials, and product evaluations while translating technical concepts into practical business solutions.

• Collaborate across Research and Development, Commercial, Production, Quality, and Innovation teams while mentoring Associate Designers, Associate Scientists, and Trainee colleagues.

What Makes You the Right Fit

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Dairy Science, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology, or a related scientific discipline.

• Minimum seven years of experience in the food, ingredient, flavor, or consumer products industry, ideally with two years of experience in dairy, dairy alternatives, or a closely related application area.

• Demonstrated experience developing products from concept through prototype development, scale‑up, manufacturing, and commercialization.

• Demonstrated understanding of ingredient functionality, flavor systems, texture design, formulation principles, and flavor interactions in dairy and dairy alternative applications.

• Proven project management and project planning skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver successful outcomes.

• Experience supporting manufacturing environments, pilot plants, production trials, and commercial product launches.

• Excellent verbal, written, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to engage customers and cross-functional stakeholders effectively.

• Demonstrated ability to leverage creativity, innovation, and problem‑solving skills to develop customer‑focused solutions and drive commercial success.

• Ability to work onsite in laboratory and pilot plant environments five days per week.

How Would You Stand Out?

• Master’s degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Food Technology, or a related field.

• Experience developing plant-based and dairy alternative products, including beverages, cultured products, frozen desserts, and other emerging applications.

• Experience with Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) and High-Temperature Short-Time (HTST) processing systems and/or training and hands‑on experience operating MicroThermics equipment for product development, scale‑up, and process validation.

Why Choose Us?

• Opportunity to develop innovative dairy and dairy alternative solutions for leading global and regional food and beverage brands.

• Meaningful customer engagement through presentations, demonstrations, technical workshops, and innovation partnerships.

• Collaborative environment that encourages creativity, continuous learning, and professional growth.

• Access to industry‑leading flavor, ingredient, and product development technologies.

• Competitive Benefits (US): Our benefit package includes medical, dental, vision, 401(k), vacation, holidays, 16 weeks paid parental leave (maternity and paternity), and an annual bonus plan. IFF was also recognized by Newsweek as one of America's Greatest Workplaces for Perks & Benefits.Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.

• Career development opportunities within a global leader in flavors, food ingredients, and health & biosciences.

We are a global leader in taste, scent, and nutrition, offering our customers a broader range of natural solutions and accelerating our growth strategy. At IFF, we believe that your uniqueness unleashes our potential. We value the diverse mosaic of the ethnicity, national origin, race, age, sex, or veteran status. We strive for an inclusive workplace that allows each of our colleagues to bring their authentic self to work regardless of their religion, gender identity & expression, sexual orientation, or disability.

Visit IFF.com/careers/workplace-diversity-and-inclusion to learn more