Research Scientist

fairlife, LLC; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 95,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Paid time off

Parental leave

401(k) with company match

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

fairlife, LLC in Chicago seeks a Research Scientist to be the SME in dairy chemistry and process interactions, bridging fundamental science with large-scale manufacturing. You will design science-backed strategies to address quality challenges and enable breakthroughs in RTD protein products.

The role combines bench research with pilot plant validation, translating data into actionable recommendations for cross-functional teams across QA, Operations, and Product Development.

Qualifications

• Advanced dairy chemistry and processing knowledge.
• Experience translating bench work to pilot plant scale.
• Excellent ability to document and present findings.

Responsibilities

• Own mechanistic research and root-cause investigations across lab and plant.
• Develop, validate, and transfer analytical methods to QA labs.
• Lead process optimization discussions with cross-functional teams.
• Mentor junior staff as the team grows.

Skills

Dairy/food physical chemistry

Analytical methods

Technical writing

Experiment design

Education

MSc or PhD in Dairy Science/ Food Science/ Food Engineering

Tools

Rheology

Chromatography

Particle size analysis

Volatile profiling

Job description

fairlife, LLC is a Chicago-based nutrition company that creates great-tasting, nutrition-rich and dairy products to nourish consumers.

With over $3B in annual retail sales, fairlife's portfolio of delicious, lactose-free, real dairy products includes: fairlife® ultra-filtered milk; Core Power® High Protein Shakes, a sports nutrition drink to support post-workout recovery; fairlife® nutrition plan™, a nutrition shake to support the journey to better health.

A wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola company, fairlife, LLC has been recognized by both Fast Company and Nielsen for its industry leading innovation.

To learn more about fairlife and its complete line of products, please visit fairlife.com.

Job Purpose

We are seeking a highly motivated Research Scientist to serve as the subject matter expert in dairy chemistry and process interactions. This role bridges fundamental molecular science with large-scale manufacturing and engineering applications. This is a hands‑on, research-forward opportunity to develop a deep, mechanistic understanding of the chemical, physical, and organoleptic changes that occur in dairy matrices during processing and over a product's shelf life. You won't just collect and track data – you will design the science‑backed strategies that alleviate quality challenges and unlock our next generation of breakthrough RTD protein products.

Responsibilities

Mechanistic Research & Root‑Cause Investigation

• Own the Problem Statement: Bridge the gap between the lab and the plant. Spend time on the manufacturing floor and in QA labs to map critical quality attributes and define complex technical challenges at their source.
• Hypothesis to Scale: Design comprehensive research plans to validate the underlying mechanisms behind product stability, age‑gelation, sedimentation, and flavor kinetics.
• Translational Science: Test solutions from bench‑top prototypes through pilot plant validation, culminating in commercial‑scale trials. Translate data into clear, actionable recommendations for cross‑functional leadership.

Advanced Analytics & Method Transfer

• Method Innovation: Proactively identify gaps in our current testing protocols. Evaluate, develop, and validate new analytical methods—specifically focusing on rheology, particle size distribution, chromatography, and volatile profiling.
• Knowledge Transfer: Draft robust SOPs and technical playbooks. Act as the lead Subject Matter Expert (SME) to transfer these new methods to plant QA labs, providing hands‑on training to operational teams across all manufacturing sites.

Process Optimization & Technical Advocacy

• Predictive Quality: Apply your deep understanding of milk protein chemistry (e.g., casein‑whey interactions, mineral balance) to partner with Product Development and Operations, optimizing formulation and processing choices for fluid dairy beverages.
• Efficiency & Sustainability: Identify opportunities for process optimization that improve yield, thermal efficiency, and product shelf life, acting as a technical leader across Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain.

Emerging Leadership

• Team Growth: While starting as an individual contributor, you will have the immediate opportunity to mentor junior team members and build a small team (1–2 direct reports) of technicians or junior scientists as your workstreams expand.

Skills / Qualifications Required

Required Qualifications

• Education: MSc or PhD in Dairy Science, Food Science, Food Engineering, or a closely related field, with a distinct academic focus on physical chemistry or advanced processing.
• Experience: 1-3 (PhD) or 2-5 (MSc) years of progressive experience in dairy/food research, spanning laboratory bench work and pilot plant scale‑up.
• Technical Mastery:
  • Dairy/Food Physical Chemistry: Deep understanding of the interactions between proteins, fats, enzymes, and minerals during manufacturing processing, under thermal stress and during shelf‑life.
  • Analytical Toolset: Proven hands‑on competence with rheology, chromatographic methods, particle size, and compositional analyses.
  • Technical Writing: Exceptional capability in authoring rigorous technical reports, white papers, or peer‑reviewed documentation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Comprehensive understanding of applied dairy chemistry.
• Unit Operations: intimate familiarity with end‑to‑end fluid milk operations (separation, standardization, membrane filtration, homogenization, and UHT/aseptic processing).
• Direct experience with commercial aseptic systems and product‑packaging interactions (e.g., PET barrier integrity, closures).
• A proven track record of leading complex, cross‑functional root‑cause investigations (e.g., solving oxidation defects, fouling reduction, or severe shelf‑life failures).
• Familiarity with the regulatory framework governing dairy processing, functional ingredients, and stabilizers.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.

How fairlife nourishes you

At fairlife, we believe in better — and that includes how we support our people. We offer a comprehensive suite of benefits and wellbeing resources designed to support you physically, emotionally, socially, and financially, both in and out of work.

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, effective day one!
• Supplemental health plans (hospital indemnity, accident, and critical illness insurance)
• Paid Time Off to recharge and support work‑life balance
• Paid parental leave & adoption assistance (up to $10,000)
• Parental support & family care benefits, including childcare resources and lactation support
• 401(k) to support retirement planning with up to 9% in employer match
• Wellness reimbursement (up to $500 for qualified wellbeing expenses)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for emotional wellbeing and work‑life support
• Company‑paid life insurance and short‑term disability
• Employer HSA funding (for HDHP participants)
• Tuition reimbursement (up to $10,000) and student loan repayment ($200/month)
• Learning & development programs to unlock your full potential
• Rewards & recognition, matching gifts, free product, and Business Resource Groups

fairlife's nour!sh program is designed to meet you where you are — supporting your individual wellbeing journey while enabling you to do your best work every day.

Position Location: Chicago, IL

Reports to: Kamil Drapala, Sr. Director, R&D

Travel Requirements: 20-30%

Exempt/Nonexempt: Nonexempt

Base pay offered may vary depending on geography, job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience. A full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position, is offered.

Base pay range:
$95,000—$120,000 USD

fairlife, LLC is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. All qualified applicants and employees will be given equal opportunity. Selection decisions are based on job‑related factors.

In addition to its nondiscrimination commitment, the Company will also provide reasonable accommodation of qualified individuals with known disabilities unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the Company. If you have a disability and would like to request accommodation in order to apply for a position with us, please email [e-mail].

Unsolicited resumes or submissions from external agencies not authorized by our Talent Acquisition team will be considered direct candidate applications. As such, fairlife will not assume responsibility for any placement fees associated with these submissions.

At fairlife, we manage the majority of our hiring internally through our dedicated Talent Acquisition team, which is actively engaged in direct candidate sourcing. Most of our roles are filled through applications submitted via our careers site or through direct outreach by our team. As our recruitment is primarily handled in-house, we work only occasionally with external agencies, and only those on our existing, pre-approved vendor list. At this time, we are not reviewing or expanding that list.