Food Product Development Scientist

Mykelly; Silverton (OR); On-site; USD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Kelly® Science & Clinical is seeking a Food Scientist for a full-time, direct-hire position with a growing dessert manufacturer in the Silverton, Oregon area. The role focuses on hands-on formulation, product development, and close collaboration with production and quality teams.

You’ll join a lean R&D team, help develop desserts such as pies and baked goods, and troubleshoot issues on the plant floor while contributing to quality and process improvements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science or closely related field.
• 2+ years of experience in food manufacturing, ideally in product development, R&D, or another role with direct production-floor support.
• Experience in bakery, pastry, dessert preferred.
• Practical baking skills and a good understanding of product quality and sensory evaluation.

Responsibilities

• Develop and refine dessert products through hands‑on formulation, bench work, and production trials.
• Build and evaluate products, document formulas and results, and support product development projects.
• Work with production leads to troubleshoot product and process issues, including scaling formulas and recommending adjustments.
• Partner closely with Quality to evaluate new products, production deviations, and product quality.
• Use critical thinking and sound judgment to investigate problems, identify contributing factors, and recommend practical solutions.
• Help maintain accurate production and product information in the company’s ERP system during its transition to a new platform.
• Adapt priorities as needed to support day‑to‑day production operations.

Skills

Critical thinking

Curiosity

Problem solving

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science

Tools

ERP system

Job description

Food Scientist

Kelly® Science & Clinical is seeking a Food Scientist for a full-time, direct-hire position with a growing dessert manufacturing company in the Silverton, Oregon area. If you’re passionate about bringing the latest scientific discoveries to life and are ready to take the next step in your career.

Salary:
$80–$90k per year, depending on experience.

Overview:
This company is a growing premium dessert manufacturer expanding its product development capabilities and production capacity. In this hands‑on role, you’ll join a lean R&D team and help develop and improve dessert products, including pies and other baked offerings. You’ll spend much of your time formulating and building products, while also working closely with production and quality teams to troubleshoot issues at the plant.

Schedule:
Monday-Friday, standard working hours. Some flexibility required to work OT to meet production needs.

Responsibilities

• Develop and refine dessert products through hands‑on formulation, bench work, and production trials.
• Build and evaluate products, document formulas and results, and support product development projects.
• Work with production leads to troubleshoot product and process issues, including scaling formulas and recommending adjustments.
• Partner closely with Quality to evaluate new products, production deviations, and product quality.
• Use critical thinking and sound judgment to investigate problems, identify contributing factors, and recommend practical solutions.
• Help maintain accurate production and product information in the company’s ERP system during its transition to a new platform.
• Adapt priorities as needed to support day‑to‑day production operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science or a closely related field.
• 2+ years of experience in food manufacturing, ideally in product development, R&D, or another role with direct production‑floor support.
• Experience in bakery, pastry, dessert, or a related food category preferred.
• Practical baking skills and a good understanding of product quality and sensory evaluation.
• Strong critical‑thinking skills, curiosity, and the ability to give detailed, thoughtful answers when solving problems.