Lead Food Scientist & Product Development (Bakery & Snacks)

Artisan Bakery; Harrisburg (Dauphin County); On-site; USD 80,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Artisan Bakery is seeking a Food Scientist/Product Development professional with 5-7 years of experience to lead development, renovation, and commercialization of bakery and snack products from concept through launch.

The ideal candidate is hands-on, scrappy, and solutions‑oriented, thriving in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment and collaborating across Operations, Sales, Marketing, and Supply Chain to deliver high‑quality, scalable products.

Qualifications

• 5-7 years in product development within a large CPG or food manufacturer.
• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, or related field; Master’s preferred.
• Experience in bakery, sweet baked goods, or snacks.
• Hands-on commercialization and plant trials experience.
• Understanding of ingredient functionality, food safety, and regulatory standards.
• Strong project management, organizational, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Excellent communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead product development projects from bench to commercialization.
• Develop and optimize bakery and snack products from pilot to production.
• Conduct formulation work, testing, and shelf-life studies.
• Collaborate with Operations, Sales, Marketing, and Supply Chain.
• Manage plant trials and drive continuous improvement.
• Identify cost optimization while maintaining quality.
• Maintain documentation: specs, formulas, technical records.
• Stay current on ingredient trends, processing tech, and regulations.
• Attend trade events to connect with suppliers.
• Lead build-out of on-site product development test kitchen and equipment.

Skills

Product development

Cross-functional

Project management

Communication

Food science knowledge

Education

Bachelor's in Food Science or related

Master's preferred

Job description

Artisan Bakery is seeking a Food Scientist/Product Development professional with 5-7 years of experience to lead development, renovation, and commercialization of bakery and snack products from concept through launch.

The ideal candidate is hands-on, scrappy, and solutions‑oriented, thriving in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment and collaborating across Operations, Sales, Marketing, and Supply Chain to deliver high‑quality, scalable products.