Food Scientist

Tyson Foods, Inc.; Springdale (AR); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

401(k) plan

Health, dental, vision, and life cover

Job summary

Tyson Foods, Inc. is seeking Food Scientist I or II in Springdale, AR to lead development and commercialization of innovative products and processes.

You will guide early-stage concepts through pilot plant testing to full-scale production, including preparing specifications and supporting labeling and regulatory needs. The role requires strong knowledge of ingredients, product formulation, food processing, and food safety, with substantial collaboration across marketing, FSQA, operations and

Qualifications

• BS, MS or PhD in Food Science, Meat Science, Food Engineering or related field. Alt. Protein science or equivalent.
• PhD with no experience. MS with minimum 2 years relevant experience. BS with minimum 3 years relevant experience. No degree with minimum of 8 years relevant experience.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate with cross-functional teams (marketing, insights, sales, culinary, FSQA, operations and purchasing).
• Modify or optimize products, develop production labeling specifications, and compile cost analyses.
• Plan, conduct, analyze, and report experiments from concept to commercialization.
• Lead cook validations across products, production lines, and fryer platforms to verify food safety and optimize cooking procedures.
• Travel to plant production facilities as required.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Education

BS/MS/PhD in Food Science or related field

Alt. Protein science

Tools

MS Office

Tyson systems

Job description

Management Level: 85

Work Shift: 1ST SHIFT (United States of America)

Applying to this requisition will put you into consideration for Food Scientist I or Food Scientist II – Level will be determined through the interview process.

Summary

The Food Scientist is responsible for developing and commercializing new and improved products and/or processes through guidance from their manager. This covers all stages of product development and process development including writing new product specifications, and ensuring regulatory labeling and food safety requirements are met. Additional responsibilities include developing samples/prototypes of new products, modifying existing products, optimizing existing products, developing specifications for product production labeling, and compiling cost analysis information. The person in this position will have a strong working knowledge of the scientific methods and is expected to leverage knowledge related to ingredients, product formulation and food processing to support best in class development of new, innovative food products. In addition, the person in this role will lead and execute cook validations for products in support of commercialization workstreams. This will include planning, conducting, documenting, and communicating cook validation studies across products, production lines, and fryer platforms to verify food safety, enable optimized cooking procedures, and support consistent restaurant quality.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Working with and strongly influencing marketing, insights, sales, culinary, FSQA, operations and purchasing departments, coordinating with suppliers of ingredients, ensuring smooth start‑up for new product production processes

• Modifying or optimizing existing products, developing specifications for product production labeling, and compiling cost analysis information.

• Work multiple development and optimization projects of moderate complexity, independently, from concept through commercialization with guidance from manager. This includes planning, executing experiments, analyzing data, reporting results.

• Execute the development process with activities that include bench top development, pilot plant testing, and scale‑up production at a federally inspected research facility and final commercialization at full scale production facility

• Strong working knowledge of the following is a plus: poultry new product development and optimization including battered and breaded products

• Help team to identify innovation that is treated as IP that can give Tyson a competitive edge in the industry

• Analyze data to build product specifications that are process capable

• Present technical data or concepts to laypersons on their level of understanding

• Compile cost analysis information and provide to product management

• Ensure costing structure meets the financial expectations of projects

• Work on cross functional teams across the organization for project completion that will ultimately help achieve our growth and EBIT strategies

• Travel to plant production facilities

• Take on and complete special projects as needed.

• Develop culinary samples/prototypes of new products, modifying existing products, optimizing existing products, developing specifications

• Develop product production labels and compile cost analysis information

• Strong working knowledge of the scientific methods and is expected to leverage knowledge related to ingredients, product formulation and food processing to support best in class development of new, innovative food products

• Work with and influence cross functional team members (marketing, insights, sales, culinary, FSQA, operations and purchasing departments, coordinating with suppliers of ingredients) while ensuring smooth start‑up for new product production processes

• Work with process development to develop process flow charts for engineering

• Ability and Initiative to grow within the organization and develop a personal development plan with your manager

Requirements:

Food Scientist II — Education & Experience:

BS, MS or PhD in Food Science, Meat Science, Food Engineering or related field. Alt. Protein science or equivalent. PhD with no experience. M.S. with minimum of 2 years of relevant experience. B.S. with minimum of 3 years of relevant experience. No degree with minimum of 8 years relevant experience.

Food Scientist I — Education & Experience:

BS, MS or PhD in Food Science, Meat Science, Food Engineering or related field. PhD or M.S with no experience. B.S. with minimum of 2 years of relevant experience. No degree with minimum of 8 years relevant experience.

Other Requirements:

Computer Skills:

Requires good computer skills with ability to fully utilize MS Office products and Tyson systems (or like systems).

Communication Skills:

Good verbal and written communication skills required, presentation skills required, must have the ability to effectively communicate with cross functional business partners

Special Skills:

Strong critical thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills, strong project management skills. Strong numerical skills, understanding of product formulation, food processing and the Research and Development process, understanding of regulatory labeling and food safety requirements

Supervisory:

May supervise a team of hourly technicians that support a team of scientists.

Travel:

25–50%. Travel will be required to accomplish our internal and external customer needs. This includes customer meetings, visiting production facilities for testing and commercialization of new products, process troubleshooting and any other regular business needs.

Internal Management & Management Support Applicants:

Automatic notification to your current manager will be initiated upon selection for interview. This applies to all candidates who are level 79 or above.

All professional team members are expected to demonstrate responsible use of approved AI tools, including safeguarding sensitive information, adhering to company policies, and validating AI-generated outputs. Individual Contributors should demonstrate the ability to integrate AI into daily work, improve efficiency through AI-enabled solutions, evaluate outputs critically, and apply professional judgment when using AI. People Leaders should demonstrate the ability to drive responsible AI adoption, enable effective use of approved solutions, identify opportunities to improve team performance through AI, and ensure accountability for the quality and accuracy of AI-supported outcomes.

Relocation Assistance Eligible:

Yes

Referral Payout Eligible:

No

For Professional Management levels, internal applicants should either upload a resume to their application OR complete their application fully showing current and past work experience in the sections provided.

The successful candidate(s) must be willing and able to perform the physical requirements of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation.

We provide our team members and their families with paid time off; 401(k) plans; affordable health, life, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; and more.

Tyson is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, national origin, color, religion, age, genetics, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or veteran status.

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