Food Scientist I

Ardent Mills; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Ardent Mills is seeking a Food Scientist to support the development and optimization of grain-based food products with a focus on baking applications. You will conduct laboratory, pilot plant, and bakery trials, analyze results, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver innovative, customer-relevant solutions.

The role targets candidates with hands-on experimentation, problem-solving, and a strong technical foundation in food science or baking science, plus 2–5 years of domain

Qualifications

• 2–5 years in food product development or baking science.
• Experience with laboratory and pilot-scale testing.
• Strong analytical and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Support product development from concept through commercialization.
• Design and conduct baking, ingredient functionality, and application trials.
• Assist in the development and optimization of formulas, processing parameters, and product specifications.
• Evaluate flour and ingredient performance across bakery applications.
• Collect, analyze, and communicate technical data and results.
• Support plant trials, scale-up activities, and product commercialization efforts.
• Collaborate with Operations and Quality teams to ensure products meet performance, quality, and manufacturability requirements.
• Partner with Marketing and Commercial teams to understand market trends and customer needs.
• Prepare technical reports, product specifications, and application documentation.
• Stay current on industry trends, ingredients, and emerging technologies.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives and innovation projects within the R&D

Skills

Laboratory testing

Data analysis

Experiment design

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science

Master's degree preferred

Job description

Location

Denver CO
The Food Scientist will support the development and optimization of grain-based food products and ingredient solutions, with a strong emphasis on baking applications. You will conduct laboratory, pilot plant, and bakery trials; analyze results; and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver innovative, customer-relevant solutions. This role is ideal for a scientist with a strong technical foundation in food science or baking science who enjoys hands-on experimentation, problem-solving, and continuous learning.

Responsibilities

• Support product development projects from concept through commercialization.
• Design and conduct baking, ingredient functionality, and application trials.
• Assist in the development and optimization of formulas, processing parameters, and product specifications.
• Evaluate flour and ingredient performance across a variety of bakery applications.
• Collect, analyze, and communicate technical data and results.
• Support plant trials, scale-up activities, and product commercialization efforts.
• Collaborate with Operations and Quality teams to ensure products meet performance, quality, and manufacturability requirements.
• Partner with Marketing and Commercial teams to understand market trends and customer needs.
• Prepare technical reports, product specifications, and application documentation.
• Stay current on industry trends, ingredients, and emerging technologies.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives and innovation projects within the R&D

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Grain Science, Baking Science, Cereal Chemistry, or a related technical discipline required.
• Master's degree preferred.

Experience

• 2-5 years of experience in food product development, baking science, ingredient applications, or related R&D roles.
• Experience with bakery products, ingredient functionality, or food manufacturing preferred.
• Knowledge of flour functionality, dough systems, and baking processes preferred.
• Experience conducting laboratory and pilot-scale testing.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively across technical and business functions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing bread, buns, rolls, tortillas, pizza crusts, sweet baked goods, snacks, or related grain-based products.
• Familiarity with commercial food manufacturing environments.
• Experience with experimental design and data analysis.
• Passion for baking science and product innovation.