Food Scientist - Poultry

Tyson Foods; Springdale (AR); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Paid time off

Job summary

Tyson Foods in Springdale, AR seeks a Food Scientist to develop and commercialize new and improved products and processes. You will lead cook validations and coordinate with marketing, insights, sales, culinary, FSQA, operations and purchasing to ensure smooth start-up for new product production processes.

The role involves planning experiments, analyzing data, and presenting results to stakeholders, with expansion opportunities across multiple seniority levels.

Qualifications

• BS/MS/PhD in Food Science, Meat Science, Food Engineering or related field; required for various levels.
• Relevant R&D experience in food product development and commercialization is preferred.
• Strong analytical and data interpretation skills with ability to communicate results effectively.

Responsibilities

• Develop and commercialize new or improved products/processes under manager guidance.
• Lead cook validations across products, lines, and fryer platforms for safe and consistent results.
• Prepare product specifications, labeling, and cost analyses to support project decisions.
• Collaborate with marketing, insights, sales, culinary, FSQA, operations and purchasing to ensure smooth start-up for new products.

Skills

Project management

Data analysis

Communication skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Cook validation knowledge

Education

BS in Food Science or related field

MS in Food Science or related field

PhD in Food Science or related field

Tools

MS Excel

Statistical software

Job description

Job Details:

Level will be determined through the interview process.

• 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 as well as water jet portioning technologies.
• 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

Job Details:

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

SUMMARY: This position 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 as well as water jet portioning technologies.
• 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 for Senior Food Scientist II:
Education & Experience:
BS MS or PhD in Food Science Meat Science Food Engineering or related field. Related degree with minimum of 8 years relevant Research and Development work experience. No degree with minimum of 15 years relevant experience.

Requirements for Senior Food Scientist I:
Education & Experience:
BS MS or PhD in Food Science Meat Science Food Engineering or related field. PhD with minimum of 2 years of relevant experience M.S. with minimum of 3 years of relevant experience B.S. with minimum of 5 years of relevant experience No degree with minimum of 10 years relevant experience

Requirements for Food Scientist II:
Education & Education:
BS MS or PhD in Food Science Meat Science Food Engineering or related field. Alt. Protein science or equivalent Experience: 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.

Requirements for 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:

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: Minimum 25% (12+ trips a year)

• 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 trouble shooting and any other regular business needs.

Relocation Assistance Eligible: Yes

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

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