Food Scientist I

Ardent Mills; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental and Vision Coverage

Health Savings Accounts

Life and Disability Programs

Retirement Savings with Company Match

Paid Time Off and Paid Holidays

Employee Recognition Program (RAVE)

Job summary

Ardent Mills in Denver, Colorado is seeking a Food Scientist to support the development and optimization of grain-based food products 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.

The role requires hands-on experimentation and a solid technical foundation in food or baking science.

Qualifications

• 2–5 years in food product development, baking science, 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 with laboratory and pilot-scale testing.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Support product development projects from concept through commercialization.
• Design and conduct baking, ingredient functionality, and application trials.
• Assist in development and optimization of formulas, processing parameters, and product specs.
• 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 to ensure performance and manufacturability.
• Partner with Marketing and Commercial teams to understand market trends and customer needs.
• Prepare technical reports, product specifications, and application documentation.

Skills

Food product development

Baking science

Lab and pilot testing

Analytical thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Effective communication

Education

Bachelor’s in Food Science or related

Master’s preferred

Job description

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.ResponsibilitiesSupport 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&DEducationBachelor's degree in Food Science, Grain Science, Baking Science, Cereal Chemistry, or a related technical discipline required.Master's degree preferred.Experience2-5 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 QualificationsExperience 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.Location & Work EnvironmentFull-time position based in Denver, Colorado.This role is onsite and requires five (5) days per week in the office, laboratory, pilot plant, and bakery environments.Occasional travel (up to 10-15%) for plant trials, supplier visits, and industry events.Physical & Product Handling RequirementsAbility to work safely in laboratory, pilot plant, bakery, and manufacturing environments.Lifting/Carrying: Capable of carrying items up to 50 lbs.Ability to regularly handle, evaluate, and consume products containing wheat and other grain-based ingredients.Ability to work with and around all major food allergens, including wheat, milk, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, fish, and shellfish.Ability to participate in food tasting and sensory evaluations as part of product development activities.This role is based at the Ardent Mills Innovation Center (AMIC), located within our Denver, Colorado headquarters. Due to the nature of the position and the collaborative, hands-on work performed, regular on-site presence is required to perform the essential functions of the role.Location:Denver COAddress:1875 Lawrence Street, Denver CO, 80202Additional Locations (if applicable):Employment Type:Full timeAdditional Information:Competitive Compensation:We provide market-driven base pay, based on skills, abilities, and level of experiences. Our salary ranges are broad, and individual salary will be market competitive based on a candidate’s unique set of skills and level of experience. The starting range for this position is $64,900.00 - $75,000.00, with additional earning potential possible commensurate with experience. Additionally, we believe that our team members are the reason for our success and all team members are incentive eligible with a target based on contribution, company performance, and individual results achieved. While the specific bonus plan and target amount will be determined based on the role and breadth of contributions, the targeted bonus plan and targeted percentage amount for this role is Bonus - MIP, 5% Annual.Benefits:At Ardent Mills we offer a wide range of benefits to our team members and their eligible family members. Some of our great benefit programs you may be eligible for include: • Medical, Dental and Vision Coverage• Health and Dependent Savings Accounts • Life and Disability Programs • Voluntary Benefit Programs • Company Sponsored Wellness Programs • Retirement Savings with Company Match • Team Member and Family Assistance Program (EAP) • Paid Time Off and Paid Holidays • Employee Recognition Program with Rewards (RAVE).Application Deadline:10/05/202610/05/2026EEO Commitment:At Ardent Mills, everyone matters and everyone has a voice. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal opportunities are available to all applicants and team members and the decisions will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, genetic information, veteran status, age, political affiliation, or any other non-merit characteristic protected by law or not. Together, celebrating our differences, we make Ardent Mills. The preceding position description has been designed to indicate the general nature and essential duties and responsibilities of work performed by employees within this position. It may not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees in this position. The description, duties, functions, and responsibilities are subject to change at the discretion of Ardent Mills.En Ardent Mills, todos importan y todos tienen voz. Estamos comprometidos a brindar un ambiente de respeto mutuo donde haya igualdad de oportunidades disponibles para todos los solicitantes y miembros del equipo y las decisiones se basarán en el mérito, la competencia, el desempeño y las necesidades comerciales. Estamos orgullosos de ser un empleador que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades. No discriminamos por motivos de raza, color, religión, credo, origen nacional, ascendencia, estado civil, sexo, orientación sexual, identidad o expresión de género, discapacidad física o mental, embarazo, información genética, condición de veterano, edad, política. afiliación, o cualquier otra característica no meritoria protegida por ley o no. Juntos, celebrando nuestras diferencias, formamos Ardent Mills. La descripción del puesto anterior ha sido diseñada para indicar la naturaleza general y los deberes y responsabilidades esenciales del trabajo realizado por los empleados dentro de este puesto. Es posible que no contenga un inventario completo de todos los deberes, responsabilidades y calificaciones requeridas de los empleados en este puesto. La descripción, los deberes, las funciones y las responsabilidades están sujetos a cambios a discreción de Ardent Mills.Role DesignationThis role is based at the Ardent Mills Innovation Center (AMIC), located within our Denver, Colorado headquarters. Due to the nature of the position and the collaborative, hands-on work performed, regular on-site presence is required to perform the essential functions of the role.Recruitment Fraud Disclaimer:At Ardent Mills, the security of our employees and candidates is a priority. We will never request sensitive information such as your bank account information, social security number, or other non-publicly available information during the application and interview process. If someone asks you for sensitive information, we strongly advise that you assume that individual is not affiliated with Ardent Mills. Some things to watch out for:Slightly altered or unprofessional email addresses. Ardent Mills’ Recruitment team only corresponds from email addresses with the domain [e-mail] or [e-mail] job requirements or job descriptions. Our open job opportunities and descriptions can be found at ardentmillscareers.com