Food Scientist - Meat Formulation

Michael Page; Elk Grove Village (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus potential

Paid time off (PTO)

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Michael Page is seeking a Food Scientist - Meat Formulation to lead the formulation and development of USDA-regulated meat products across beef, pork, and poultry, from concept through scale-up.

You will work cross-functionally with Operations, Quality, Purchasing, and leadership to drive product innovation, cost optimization, and successful commercialization, with hands-on development and plant-scale trials in Illinois.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Meat Science, or a related discipline.
• 2+ years of USDA meat formulation experience; 3+ years preferred.
• Hands-on experience developing and formulating meat protein products.
• Strong understanding of meat ingredients, seasonings, flavors, binders, and ingredient functionality.
• Experience conducting sensory evaluations and shelf-life studies.

Responsibilities

• Lead the formulation and development of USDA-regulated meat products, including beef, pork, and poultry.
• Develop new recipes, processing procedures, and product specifications for new product launches, customer requests, and cost optimization initiatives.
• Plan, execute, and evaluate product trials, pilot runs, and commercial scale-up activities.
• Conduct sensory evaluations, shelf-life studies, and competitive product assessments.
• Work cross-functionally with Operations, Quality, Purchasing, and Maintenance teams to ensure successful commercialization.
• Support continuous improvement efforts related to formulation, ingredient functionality, quality, and manufacturing efficiency.

Skills

Meat formulation

Sensory evaluation

Product development

Cross-functional collaboration

Industry knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Meat Science, or related

Tools

ESHA Genesis

Job description

Highly visible role where you'll partner closely with Operations, Quality, Purchasing, and leadership teams to create and improve protein products across beef, pork, and poultry categories. This position offers hands-on involvement throughout the entire product development lifecycle, from formulation and benchtop work to plant trials, scale-up, and market launch.

Our client is a well-established food manufacturer with more than 50 years of success supplying innovative protein, sauce, and bakery products to major retailers, foodservice distributors, and leading quick-service restaurant brands across North America. The organization offers the stability of a long-standing business combined with the agility and visibility of a mid-sized company, providing employees with the opportunity to make a significant impact on product innovation and business growth

Description

• Lead the formulation and development of USDA-regulated meat products, including beef, pork, and poultry.
• Develop new recipes, processing procedures, and product specifications for new product launches, customer requests, and cost optimization initiatives.
• Plan, execute, and evaluate product trials, pilot runs, and commercial scale-up activities.
• Conduct sensory evaluations, shelf-life studies, and competitive product assessments.
• Work cross-functionally with Operations, Quality, Purchasing, and Maintenance teams to ensure successful commercialization.
• Support continuous improvement efforts related to formulation, ingredient functionality, quality, and manufacturing efficiency.

MPI does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, or based on an individual's status in any group or class protected by applicable federal, state or local law. MPI encourages applications from minorities, women, the disabled, protected veterans and all other qualified applicants. the company will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.

Profile

A successful Food Scientist - Meat Formulation should have:

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Meat Science, or a related discipline.
• 2+ years of USDA meat formulation experience; 3+ years preferred.
• Hands-on experience developing and formulating meat protein products.
• Strong understanding of meat ingredients, seasonings, flavors, binders, and ingredient functionality.
• Experience conducting sensory evaluations and shelf-life studies.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with nutritional analysis software such as ESHA Genesis or similar platforms.
• Experience supporting products through full commercialization and plant scale-up

Job Offer

• Join a growing, financially stable food manufacturer with a strong industry reputation.
• Work on products sold through major retail, foodservice, and restaurant channels.
• Gain exposure to every stage of product development from concept through launch.
• Highly visible position with direct interaction across multiple business functions and senior leadership.
• Competitive compensation package including annual bonus potential, PTO, and comprehensive benefits.
• Salary of $90,000 to $105,000.

MPI does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, or based on an individual's status in any group or class protected by applicable federal, state or local law. MPI encourages applications from minorities, women, the disabled, protected veterans and all other qualified applicants.