R&D Food Scientist

iRiS Recruiting Solutions; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

iRiS Recruiting Solutions is partnering with a growing food and beverage manufacturer to hire an R&D Scientist in Madison, WI. This on-site role focuses on liquid formulations and beverage product development, spanning benchtop formulation through full-scale commercialization, with direct interaction with customers and cross-department collaboration.

You will join an established R&D team, manage multiple customer-driven projects, develop product specs and Nutrition Facts panels, and support

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Master’s preferred
• 1–5 years of food product development experience
• Hands-on liquid formulation experience required
• Experience with beverages, shelf-stable products, or thermal processing desired
• Strong communication and project management skills

Responsibilities

• Develop new beverage formulations, optimize products, and adapt customer formulas
• Create benchtop samples and coordinate pilot plant and full-scale trials
• Partner with Quality, Production, and Procurement to commercialize new products
• Develop product specifications, ingredient statements, and Nutrition Facts panels per FDA/USDA
• Support thermal processing studies, retort operations, and shelf-stable product development
• Manage multiple customer-driven R&D projects with Operations support

Skills

Liquid formulation

Beverage development

Project management

Communication

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science/related field

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

R&D Food Scientist | Madison, WI (On-site)

Location: Wisconsin (On-site, Monday–Friday)

We’re partnering with a growing food & beverage manufacturer seeking an R&D Scientist to join its expanding Research & Development team. This is a newly created position driven by increased customer demand and a growing portfolio of product development projects — with the opportunity to work directly with customers, collaborate across departments, and play a key role in developing new products.

About the Opportunity

• On-site, Monday–Friday
• Focus: liquid formulations, beverages
• Product development: hands-on involvement from benchtop formulation through full-scale commercialization
• Customer interaction: work directly with customers to develop and optimize products
• Team: join an established R&D group of Scientists and Technologists

What You’ll Be Doing

• Develop new beverage formulations, optimize existing products, and adapt customer formulas
• Create benchtop samples and coordinate pilot plant and full-scale production trials
• Partner with Quality, Production, and Procurement teams to successfully commercialize new products
• Develop product specifications, ingredient statements, and Nutrition Facts panels in accordance with FDA/USDA requirements
• Support thermal processing studies, retort operations, and shelf-stable product development
• Manage multiple customer-driven R&D projects while providing technical support to Operations

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Nutrition, or related field required — Master’s preferred
• 1–5 years of food product development and commercialization experience preferred
• Hands‑on liquid formulation experience required
• Experience with beverages, shelf‑stable products, or thermal processing highly desirable
• Strong communication, project management, and problem‑solving skills