Senior Food Scientist

Tyson Foods; Springdale (AR); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

401(k) plans

Health benefits

Dental and vision

Job summary

Tyson Foods seeks a Senior Food Scientist I/II to drive development and commercialization of new and improved products. You will lead cook validations, collaborate with marketing, FSQA, and operations, and ensure labeling and food safety compliance.

Ideal candidates hold a BS/MS/PhD in relevant fields, with 8+ years of R&D experience (or 15+ years without a degree). Travel and plant interactions are required as part of this role.

Qualifications

• BS, MS or PhD in Food Science, Meat Science, Food Engineering or related field.
• PhD with minimum of 2 years of relevant experience or MS with 3 years or BS with 5 years.
• No degree with minimum of 10 years relevant experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop and commercialize new and improved products and processes.
• Lead cook validation studies across products, lines and fryer platforms.
• Coordinate with marketing, insights, sales, culinary, FSQA, operations and purchasing.
• Prepare product specifications, labeling and cost analyses.
• Ensure regulatory labeling and food safety requirements are met.
• Work on cross-functional teams to meet growth and EBIT strategies.

Skills

Critical thinking

Analytical

Problem solving

Project management

Communication

Education

PhD or MS in Food Science/Meat Science/Food Engineering

BS in Food Science/Meat Science/Food Engineering

Experience: 8+ years (with degree) or 15+ years (no degree)

PhD with 2+ years experience

MS with 3+ years experience

BS with 5+ years experience

Tools

MS Office

Tyson systems

Job description

Job Details

Applying to this requisition will put you into consideration for Senior Food Scientist I or Senior Food Scientist II – Level will be determined through the interview process.

Summary

The Senior Food Scientist is responsible for developing and commercializing new and improved products and/or processes through guidance from their manager. This covers all stages of product development and process development including writing new product specifications, and ensuring regulatory labeling and food safety requirements are met. Additional responsibilities include developing samples/prototypes of new products, modifying existing products, optimizing existing products, developing specifications for product production labeling, and compiling cost analysis information. The person in this position will have a strong working knowledge of the scientific methods and is expected to leverage knowledge related to ingredients, product formulation and food processing to support best in class development of new, innovative food products. In addition, the person in this role will lead and execute cook validations for products in support of commercialization workstreams. This will include planning, conducting, documenting, and communicating cook validation studies across products, production lines, and fryer platforms to verify food safety, enable optimized cooking procedures, and support consistent restaurant quality.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Working with and strongly influencing marketing, insights, sales, culinary, FSQA, operations and purchasing departments, coordinating with suppliers of ingredients, ensuring smooth start-up for new product production processes
• Modifying or optimizing existing products, developing specifications for product production labeling, and compiling cost analysis information.
• Work multiple development and optimization projects of moderate complexity, independently, from concept through commercialization with guidance from manager. This includes planning, executing experiments, analyzing data, reporting results.
• Execute the development process with activities that include bench top development, pilot plant testing, and scale-up production at a federally inspected research facility and final commercialization at full scale production facility
• Strong working knowledge of the following is a plus: poultry new product development and optimization including battered and breaded products
• Help team to identify innovation that is treated as IP that can give Tyson a competitive edge in the industry
• Analyze data to build product specifications that are process capable
• Present technical data or concepts to laypersons on their level of understanding
• Compile cost analysis information and provide to product management
• Ensure costing structure meets the financial expectations of projects
• Work on cross functional teams across the organization for project completion that will ultimately help achieve our growth and EBIT strategies
• Travel to plant production facilities
• Take on and complete special projects as needed.
• Develop culinary samples/prototypes of new products, modifying existing products, optimizing existing products, developing specifications
• Develop product production labels and compile cost analysis information
• Strong working knowledge of the scientific methods and is expected to leverage knowledge related to ingredients, product formulation and food processing to support best in class development of new, innovative food products
• Work with and influence cross functional team members (marketing, insights, sales, culinary, FSQA, operations and purchasing departments, coordinating with suppliers of ingredients) while ensuring smooth start‑up for new product production processes
• Work with process development to develop process flow charts for engineering
• Ability and Initiative to grow within the organization and develop a personal development plan with your manager

Senior Food Scientist II — Education & Experience

BS, MS or PhD in Food Science, Meat Science, Food Engineering or related field. Related degree with minimum of 8 years relevant Research and Development work experience. No degree with minimum of 15 years relevant experience.

Senior Food Scientist I — Education & Experience

BS, MS or PhD in Food Science, Meat Science, Food Engineering or related field. PhD with minimum of 2 years of relevant experience. M.S. with minimum of 3 years of relevant experience. B.S. with minimum of 5 years of relevant experience. No degree with minimum of 10 years relevant experience.

Other Requirements

Computer Skills

Requires good computer skills with ability to fully utilize MS Office products and Tyson systems (or like systems).

Communication Skills

Good verbal and written communication skills required, presentation skills required, must have the ability to effectively communicate with cross functional business partners

Special Skills

Strong critical thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills, strong project management skills. Strong numerical skills, understanding of product formulation, food processing and the Research and Development process, understanding of regulatory labeling and food safety requirements

Supervisory

May supervise a team of hourly technicians that support a team of scientists.

Travel

25-50%. Travel will be required to accomplish our internal and external customer needs. This includes customer meetings, visiting production facilities for testing and commercialization of new products, process troubleshooting and any other regular business needs.

Position Specific Requirements

• Applicants should either upload a resume to their application on Workday OR make sure their Career Profile in Workday is up to date and complete.
• Must reside in the United States to be considered.
• Sponsorship is not available for this position.

Relocation Assistance Eligible

Yes

Work Shift

1ST SHIFT (United States of America)

Certain roles at Tyson require background checks. If you are offered a position that requires a background check you will be provided additional documentation to complete once an offer has been extended.

Hourly Applicants ONLY

You must complete the task after submitting your application to provide additional information to be considered for employment.

The successful candidate(s) must be willing and able to perform the physical requirements of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation.

Tyson is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, national origin, color, religion, age, genetics, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or veteran status.

We provide our team members and their families with paid time off; 401(k) plans; affordable health, life, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; and more.

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