R&D Meat Scientist

MRINetwork; Lafayette (IN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

MRINetwork is seeking an experienced R&D Meat Scientist to lead applied research and product development for a food production client headquartered in Indiana.

You will translate technical concepts into scalable, commercially viable products, lead plant trials, and collaborate across Operations, Engineering, QA, Sales, Marketing, and Regulatory to bring products from concept to commercialization while meeting quality and food-safety standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's in Meat Science, Food Science, Animal Science or related; Master/PhD preferred.
• 5+ years hands-on meat/food product development experience.
• Strong understanding of meat functionality and processing systems.
• Experience in USDA-regulated facilities and knowledge of USDA-FSIS, HACCP, and labeling standards.
• Ability to translate results into practical, commercial solutions with strong documentation.

Responsibilities

• Design and lead applied R&D projects focused on quality, yield, shelf-life, and process optimization.
• Develop formulations and specifications to meet customer and regulatory requirements.
• Lead plant trials and scale-up; troubleshoot bind, emulsion, purge, texture, yield, and cook loss.
• Document formulas, specifications, protocols, and process parameters; prepare clear technical reports.
• Collaborate with Operations, Engineering, QA, Sales, Marketing, and Regulatory to translate needs into solutions.
• Monitor industry trends and technologies to identify opportunities.

Skills

Meat science

Product development

Communication

Documentation

DOE / Stats

Regulatory compliance

Education

Bachelor's in Meat/ Food/ Animal Science

Master's or PhD preferred

Tools

DOE software

Statistical analysis

Job description

R&D Meat Scientist:

Our food production client, headquartered in Indiana, is looking for a motivated, hands-on R&D Meat Scientist to lead applied research and product development. This position translates technical and culinary concepts into scalable, commercially viable products, leads plant trials, and partners across Operations, Engineering, QA, Sales and Marketing, and Regulatory to bring products from concept through commercialization while meeting quality, food-safety, and regulatory standards.

This is an onsite position. The duty station can be positioned in Indiana, Michigan or Kentucky.

Responsibilities:

• Design and execute applied R&D projects focused on product quality, yield improvement, shelf-life extension, and process optimization
• Develop and optimize formulations, processes, and product specifications to meet customer, quality, regulatory, and operational requirements
• Lead plant trials and scale-up, troubleshooting processing issues such as bind, emulsion, purge, texture variability, yield, and cook loss
• Own precise documentation of formulas, specifications, protocols, and process parameters, and prepare clear technical reports
• Partner with Operations, Engineering, QA, Sales and Marketing, and Regulatory to translate business and customer needs into technical solutions
• Monitor industry trends, emerging technologies, and competitive products to identify opportunities

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Meat Science, Food Science, Animal Science, or related discipline; Master's or PhD preferred
• 5+ years of hands-on experience in meat / food product development
• Strong understanding of meat functionality (protein bind, blending, water activity, cook loss, emulsions) and processing systems
• Experience in USDA-regulated facilities; working knowledge of USDA-FSIS regulations, HACCP, food-safety management systems, and USDA labeling requirements and standards of identity
• Proven ability to translate scientific results into practical, commercial solutions, with strong documentation and communication skills
• Experience in pork processing preferred but not required
• Additional valued experience (not required): cured, smoked, and further-processed product expertise; sensory evaluation and shelf-life validation; statistical analysis, design of experiments (DOE), and data-driven decision making; and clean-label / ingredient-reduction formulation

Due to the high volume of resumes received, only applicants with SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE requested by our clients will be contacted. All replies are held in strict confidence. MRI Zionsville WILL NOT share your personally identifiable information WITHOUT your permission.