R&D Food Scientist

Indiana Ag Connection; Columbus (IN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 132,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

End-to-end product development

Technical ownership

Customer collaboration

Cross-functional impact

Innovation-driven work

Job summary

Indiana Ag Connection is seeking an R&D Food Scientist to lead product development from concept to commercialization, focusing on beverages. You will refine formulations, run trials, and coordinate with customers and cross-functional teams.

The role emphasizes hands-on formulation, project management, and practical knowledge of the food/beverage commercialization process, with on-site work in Columbus, Indiana.

Qualifications

• Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry, Microbiology, or a related scientific discipline.
• Experience in research and development, product formulation, and beverage product development.
• Beverage industry experience strongly preferred; others considered with commercialization experience.
• Experience conducting benchmark sample testing and translating findings into formulation improvements.
• Hands-on experience with MicroThermics equipment or processes.
• Knowledge of emulsions, stabilizers, and formulation troubleshooting.
• Experience generating nutritional panels using nutritional analysis software.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple R&D projects and track progress.
• Strong customer-facing communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Knowledge of Good Laboratory Practices, sensory evaluation, product specifications, and food safety requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead R&D projects from concept development through formulation, testing, and commercialization.
• Develop and refine food and beverage formulations to meet specifications and customer requirements.
• Conduct benchmark sample testing and evaluate product performance for improvements.
• Apply emulsions and stabilizers to optimize formulation, consistency, and performance.
• Utilize MicroThermics equipment to support development and testing.
• Generate nutritional panels using appropriate software.
• Create and maintain product specifications, batch sheets, and technical docs.
• Coordinate product trials, sample prep, sensory evaluations, and shelf-life studies.
• Collaborate with customers and internal stakeholders to translate needs into practical solutions.
• Track milestones, timelines, and deliverables throughout development lifecycle.
• Support ingredient and packaging documentation, labeling, and food safety standards.
• Work with QA, Sales, and other teams to drive successful launches.

Skills

R&D project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Strong communication

Documentation

Education

Bachelor-level degree in Food Science/Technology/C Chemistry/Microbiology

Tools

MicroThermics equipment

Nutritional analysis software

Job description

Compensation: $120,000 base salary + 10% bonus

Work Setup: On-site | Columbus, Indiana

Employment Type: Full-Time

Overview

We’re seeking an R&D Food Scientist to lead product development initiatives from initial concept through formulation, testing, and commercialization. This is an opportunity to apply your scientific expertise, creativity, and technical problem-solving skills to develop products that meet customer expectations and commercial objectives.

You’ll work closely with customers and cross-functional teams to evaluate benchmark samples, refine formulations, coordinate product trials, and bring new products to market. The ideal candidate combines hands-on formulation expertise with strong project management skills and a practical understanding of the food or beverage commercialization process.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead R&D projects from concept development through formulation, testing, and commercialization.
• Develop, refine, and troubleshoot food and beverage formulations to meet product specifications and customer requirements.
• Conduct benchmark sample testing and evaluate product performance, characteristics, and opportunities for improvement.
• Apply knowledge of emulsions and stabilizers to optimize product formulation, consistency, and performance.
• Utilize MicroThermics equipment and processes to support product development and testing.
• Generate nutritional panels using nutritional analysis and panel-generation software.
• Develop and maintain product specifications, batch sheets, and supporting technical documentation.
• Coordinate product trials, sample preparation, sensory evaluations, and shelf-life assessments.
• Collaborate directly with customers and internal stakeholders to understand product requirements, communicate project progress, and support commercialization.
• Track R&D project milestones, timelines, testing results, and deliverables throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Support ingredient and packaging documentation, product labeling requirements, and applicable food safety and regulatory standards.
• Work collaboratively with Quality Assurance, Sales, and other cross-functional partners to facilitate successful product launches.

Qualifications

• Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry, Microbiology, or a related scientific discipline.
• Experience in research and development, product formulation, and food or beverage product development.
• Beverage industry experience is strongly preferred; candidates from other food manufacturing segments will also be considered if they have experience taking concepts through commercialization.
• Experience conducting benchmark sample testing and translating findings into formulation improvements.
• Hands-on experience with MicroThermics equipment or processes.
• Working knowledge of emulsions, stabilizers, and formulation troubleshooting.
• Experience generating nutritional panels using nutritional analysis software.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple R&D projects and track progress from concept through commercialization.
• Strong customer-facing communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Knowledge of Good Laboratory Practices, sensory evaluation, product specifications, and food safety requirements.
• Strong organizational, analytical, documentation, and problem-solving skills.

Why This Opportunity?

• Competitive compensation: Earn a $120,000 base salary plus a 10% bonus opportunity.
• End-to-end product development: Play a meaningful role in transforming concepts into commercial products.
• Technical ownership: Apply your formulation, testing, and troubleshooting expertise to real-world product development challenges.
• Customer collaboration: Work directly with customers to translate product needs into practical solutions.
• Cross-functional impact: Partner with R&D, Quality, Sales, and other teams to move projects forward.
• Innovation-driven work: Help refine formulations, evaluate new concepts, and support the successful launch of products.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base salary of $120,000 annually.
• 10% bonus opportunity.
• Additional benefits and employment details to be discussed during the hiring process.