Senior Food Scientist – Dairy & Innovation Leader

Danone North America; Louisville (CO); Hybrid; USD 88,000 - 118,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance-based bonus

Medical, dental, vision coverage

401k plan and wellness program

Tuition reimbursement

Paid parental bonding leave

Job summary

Danone North America is seeking a Food Scientist III in Louisville, CO, to lead complex innovation programs and drive commercialization of dairy and fermented products. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate business needs into technical solutions and mentor junior scientists.

The role requires a strong background in dairy science, project leadership, and hands-on formulation expertise with a willingness to travel up to 25% and support plant trials outside standard hours.

Qualifications

• Degree in dairy or food science or related technical field; Master's preferred.
• Advanced understanding of dairy/fermented product formulation and processing technologies.
• Proven track record leading product development projects from concept to commercialization.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex innovation, renovation, and platform development programs.
• Serve as the R&I technical leader within cross-functional teams and drive alignment.
• Design and lead technical development strategies, bench work, trials and consumer validation.
• Apply expertise in formulation, ingredient functionality, processing, and manufacturing to solve challenges.
• Develop and maintain ingredient and finish-good specifications and technical docs.
• Collaborate with suppliers and sites to identify novel technologies and solutions.
• Contribute to category strategy by scoping ideas and driving continuous improvement.
• Mentor junior scientists and lead technical discussions.

Skills

Product development leadership

Dairy/fermented formulation

Troubleshooting

Cross-functional influence

Stakeholder management

Leadership & communication

Travel readiness

Education

Degree in Dairy Science or Food Science

Master's degree preferred

Job description

Danone North America is seeking a Food Scientist III in Louisville, CO, to lead complex innovation programs and drive commercialization of dairy and fermented products. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate business needs into technical solutions and mentor junior scientists.

The role requires a strong background in dairy science, project leadership, and hands-on formulation expertise with a willingness to travel up to 25% and support plant trials outside standard hours.