Lead Scientist, Cultured Dairy & Fermentation

Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.; Springfield, Northern (MO, KY); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. is seeking a Principal Scientist to lead the development of cultured and fermented dairy products from concept through commercialization.

You will act as a technical expert across culturing, starter cultures, and fermentation, guiding bench to pilot plant scale‑ups for cottage cheese, yogurt, and related products. Responsibilities include mentoring R&D teams, partnering with process technology and operations, and driving speed‑to‑market with a strong emphasis on

Qualifications

• Deep expertise in dairy fermentation science and culture performance.
• Mentor and influence other R&D resources to strengthen technical capability.
• Experience translating bench formulas to scalable processes across plant trials.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of cottage cheese, yogurt, and cultured dairy products from concept to commercialization.
• Serve as technical expert within culturing and fermentation and drive scale‑up.
• Collaborate with engineering, QA, and regulatory teams to ensure safety, quality, and manufacturability.

Skills

Dairy fermentation science

Starter culture performance

Milk and dairy substrate design

Acidification kinetics

Texture development

Education

PhD in Food Science or related

Tools

Pilot-plant equipment

Job description

Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. is seeking a Principal Scientist to lead the development of cultured and fermented dairy products from concept through commercialization.

You will act as a technical expert across culturing, starter cultures, and fermentation, guiding bench to pilot plant scale‑ups for cottage cheese, yogurt, and related products. Responsibilities include mentoring R&D teams, partnering with process technology and operations, and driving speed‑to‑market with a strong emphasis on