Principal Applications Technologist

Custom Ingredients, Inc.; Concord (NC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Custom Ingredients, Inc. seeks a Principal Applications Technologist to lead the NC Applications Laboratory, developing innovative prototype formulations for food and nutraceuticals and guiding customer-centric technical solutions.

This senior role requires extensive experience in flavor applications, lab operations, and cross-functional collaboration, with travel to customer sites and collaborations with the California R&D team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemistry, or related scientific discipline required

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize prototype formulations for various food categories.
• Serve as senior technical applications resource with formulation expertise and troubleshooting.
• Lead complex development projects from concept to commercialization, including bench-top development and sensory evaluation.
• Manage daily operations of the North Carolina Applications Laboratory and ensure safety and quality compliance.
• Recruit, hire, train, supervise, and develop laboratory personnel and foster a collaborative culture.
• Develop and improve application platforms, prototype formulas, ingredient libraries, and lab procedures.
• Collaborate with Sales, Regulatory, Quality, Operations and other teams to support projects and strategic initiatives.
• Identify emerging ingredients and processing technologies to drive innovation and customer solutions.
• Provide mentorship across Applications and support R&D objectives.
• Travel domestically for customer visits and collaborations.

Skills

Food science

Flavor applications

Customer-facing comms

Project management

Lab operations

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Independent work

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science/Related field

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Pipettes

Scales

Meters

Standard lab equipment

Job description

About this position

Position Summary and Purpose: The Principal Applications Technologist provides technical leadership for the Applications function across food, beverage, confectionery, and nutraceutical categories. This hands-on role combines advanced application development, customer engagement, and laboratory leadership to develop innovative prototype formulations and provide technical solutions that address customer needs and formulation challenges.

Reporting to the Director of Research & Development, the Principal Applications Technologist serves as the organization's senior applications expert, leading the North Carolina Applications Laboratory while working directly with customers through onsite visits, innovation sessions, technical presentations, and collaborative product development. The role is responsible for building and developing the North Carolina Applications team, maintaining laboratory operations, and driving technical excellence in support of company growth and customer success.

Essential Functions:

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Develop and optimize prototype formulations for food, beverage, confectionery, nutraceutical, and functional food applications utilizing company flavor systems.
• Serve as the senior technical applications resource by providing formulation expertise, troubleshooting, and innovative solutions to customers through onsite visits, technical presentations, innovation sessions, and collaborative product development.
• Lead complex application development projects from concept through commercialization, including bench-top development, sensory evaluation, stability assessments, and manufacturing support.
• Manage the daily operations of the North Carolina Applications Laboratory, including laboratory equipment, ingredient inventory, technical documentation, and compliance with safety and quality standards.
• Recruit, hire, train, supervise, and develop North Carolina Applications Laboratory personnel, including Food Technologists and Laboratory Technicians, while fostering a collaborative, customer-focused culture.
• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve application platforms, prototype formulas, ingredient libraries, laboratory procedures, and technical best practices.
• Collaborate with Sales, Flavor Creation, Regulatory, Quality, Operations, and other cross-functional teams to support customer projects, commercialization efforts, and strategic technical initiatives.
• Identify and evaluate emerging ingredients, processing technologies, and market trends to drive application innovation and enhance customer solutions.
• Provide technical mentorship and guidance across the Applications function while supporting the R&D Director in achieving departmental objectives and advancing technical capabilities.
• Travel as required to support customer visits, innovation workshops, manufacturing trials, and collaboration with internal teams.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Desired Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Advanced knowledge of food science, flavor applications, ingredient functionality, and product development.
• Extensive experience developing prototype formulations across beverage, confectionery, nutraceutical, functional food, and other food categories.
• Strong understanding of ingredient interactions, processing technologies, shelf-life considerations, and sensory evaluation.
• Excellent customer-facing communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Demonstrated ability to solve complex technical challenges and develop practical formulation solutions.
• Experience leading laboratory operations and supervising technical staff.
• Strong project management, organizational, and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams across multiple locations.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and standard laboratory equipment and practices.

Physical Demands:

The physical responsibilities described here must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, stand, bend, as well as talk and hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision. Must be able to regularly use hands to handle or feel objects, tools, or controls, reach with hands and arms, and climb stairs. The position requires the ability to occasionally lift, push, or pull office and lab products and supplies up to 25 pounds.

Working Conditions:

• The position works in a lab and office settings. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, filing cabinets and fax machines, and standard lab equipment such as pipettes, scales, meters. The noise level in the work environment is moderate.

Position Type / Expected Hours of Work:

• This is a full-time position. Working hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline required; Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in food or flavor applications, product development, or related technical roles.
• Previous experience supervising technical personnel and laboratory operations preferred.
• Demonstrated success supporting customer-facing application development and commercialization projects.
• Willingness to travel domestically, including regular customer visits and collaboration with the California R&D team.

Salary Information

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