Lead Flavor Applications Scientist for Dairy & Beverages

Chobani; North Brunswick Township (NJ); On-site; USD 94,000 - 147,950; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Equity

401k match

Medical, dental, vision

Tuition reimbursement

Parental leave

Job summary

Chobani seeks a Flavor Applications Scientist to join our Innovation R&D team as the primary flavor expert, supporting a fast-paced development pipeline. You will partner with R&D scientists, cross-functional stakeholders, and external flavor partners to identify, develop, optimize and commercialize flavor solutions that meet product, brand, technical, cost and timeline objectives.

The ideal candidate brings strong experience in flavor applications, flavor selection for dairy/beverage

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Food Engineering or related discipline. Advanced degree preferred.
• 4–7+ years experience in flavor applications, development, or related R&D.
• Experience working with flavor houses and managing projects from brief through commercialization.
• Strong understanding of flavor functionality within dairy, cultured dairy, beverage, or adjacent categories.
• Hands-on bench formulation experience and comfort working in a laboratory environment.
• Strong sensory evaluation skills with the ability to translate flavor observations into clear technical recommendations for internal stakeholders and vendor partners.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced innovation environment.
• Strong communication and influencing skills with the ability to effectively partner across technical and cross-functional teams.
• Ability to travel up to 30% to support vendor visits, pilot and plant trials, cross-site collaboration and other business needs.

Responsibilities

• Flavor Development: Lead flavor development activities across product innovation projects from concept through commercialization.
• Vendor Management: Serve as the primary point of contact for flavor houses and external partners; manage briefs and feedback.
• Sensory Evaluation: Lead flavor reviews, sensory evaluations, benchmarking activities, and tastings.
• Commercialization: Lead flavor selection and optimization through pilot, scale-up, and commercialization phases.
• Cross-Functional: Collaborate with NPD, Procurement, Quality, and Regulatory to align with business needs.
• Risk & Opportunity: Assess flavor-related risks for supply continuity, cost, and regulatory compliance.
• Documentation: Maintain clear documentation of submissions, evaluations, and decisions.

Skills

Flavor applications

Sensory evaluation

Vendor management

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Communication skills

Laboratory formulation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Food Engineering or related discipline

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Chobani seeks a Flavor Applications Scientist to join our Innovation R&D team as the primary flavor expert, supporting a fast-paced development pipeline. You will partner with R&D scientists, cross-functional stakeholders, and external flavor partners to identify, develop, optimize and commercialize flavor solutions that meet product, brand, technical, cost and timeline objectives.

The ideal candidate brings strong experience in flavor applications, flavor selection for dairy/beverage