Protein Chemist, Food Science & Process Innovation

Just Food Company; Emeryville (CA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 158,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Employer-paid medical, dental, and VSP

Flexible time off

Holidays + company closure

Job summary

Just Food Company in Emeryville, CA, seeks a Food/Process Chemist to advance science behind plant-based proteins and fermentation-derived ingredients. You will design and execute studies on protein structure, extraction, stability, and performance, translating findings into scalable ingredients and processes.

Collaboration with product development and manufacturing is essential, with a strong emphasis on rigorous data and practical recommendations.

Qualifications

• PhD or Master’s with substantial industry experience in food science or protein chemistry.
• Hands-on protein extraction, purification, and characterization with a focus on functionality.
• Ability to design multi-variable experiments and interpret complex data.
• Strong communication and documentation skills for technical and non-technical audiences.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimize extraction and processing methods balancing yield and functionality.
• Develop analytical methods to relate structure to performance of proteins.
• Apply computational approaches to troubleshoot and improve stability.
• Evaluate product and process impact across formulation, storage, and shelf life.
• Interpret results, form hypotheses, and propose valuable next experiments.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate findings into scalable solutions.
• Maintain rigorous documentation and communicate conclusions clearly.

Skills

Protein extraction

Purification

Characterization

DOE / experimental design

Data synthesis

Communication

Education

PhD in Food Science or Protein Chemistry

Master’s + ≥5 yrs industry experience

Tools

DSC

Fluorescence spectroscopy

Rheology

SDS-PAGE

Bioinformatics basics

Job description

Just Food Company in Emeryville, CA, seeks a Food/Process Chemist to advance science behind plant-based proteins and fermentation-derived ingredients. You will design and execute studies on protein structure, extraction, stability, and performance, translating findings into scalable ingredients and processes.

Collaboration with product development and manufacturing is essential, with a strong emphasis on rigorous data and practical recommendations.