Senior Scientist, R&D - Food Service

The Campbell's Company; Camden (NJ); Hybrid; USD 116,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

401(k) with vesting

Paid time off

Job summary

Campbell Food Service is seeking a seasoned product development professional to lead new food service designs from concept through commercialization. You will work with Marketing, Culinary, Insights and Supply Chain to translate trends into scalable prototypes and formats.

The role involves collaboration across R&D, Engineering, Packaging and co-manufacturers, with travel up to 30% to operator sites and suppliers. A strong background in food science and 5+ years in CPG/foodservice are required.

Qualifications

• Must have a B.S. in Food Science or related field.
• 5+ years of CPG or foodservice product-development experience.
• Willingness to travel 20–30% to operators, suppliers, and facilities.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage technical timelines for multiple product-development projects with cross-functional partners.
• Lead concepts through commercialization and build prototypes to refine formulations.
• Define manufacturing needs with R&D, Engineering, Packaging, Operations, and suppliers.
• Lead pilot-scale trials and assess scale-up feasibility and product specs.
• Incorporate operator and consumer feedback into prototype design and improve processes.
• Deliver products meeting cost, nutrition, quality, and food-guardrail targets.

Skills

Food science

Product development

Travel readiness

CPG knowledge

Education

B.S. in Food Science or related

M.S. in Food Science (nice to have)

Job description

Since 1869 we've connected people through food they love. We’re proud to be stewards of amazing brands that people trust. Our portfolio includes the iconic Campbell’s brand, as well as Michael Angelo’s, Pace, Pacific Foods, Prego, Rao’s Homemade, Swanson, and V8. In our Snacks division, we have brands like Cape Cod, Goldfish, Kettle Brand, Lance, Late July, Pepperidge Farm, Snack Factory, and Snyder’s of Hanover. Here, you will make a difference every day. You will be supported to build a rewarding career with opportunities to grow, innovate and inspire. Make history with us.

Why Campbell’s… Benefits begin on day one and include medical, dental, short and long-term disability, AD&D, and life insurance (for individual, families, and domestic partners). Employees are eligible for our matching 401(k) plan and can enroll on the first day of employment with immediate vesting. Campbell’s offers unlimited sick time along with paid time off and holiday pay. If in WHQ – free access to the fitness center. Access to on-site day care (operated by Bright Horizons) and company store. Giving back to the communities where our employees work and live is very important to Campbell’s. Our “Campbell’s Cares” program matches employee donations and/or volunteer activity up to $1,500 annually. Campbell’s has a variety of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to support employees.

How You Will Make History Here…

The successful candidate in this role will be responsible for developing new Campbell Food Service (CFS) product designs that support well-defined business propositions and incorporate operator and consumer feedback. Working with minimal supervision, this individual will lead product development from concept through commercialization and apply strong technical principles, experimentation, and creative problem-solving skills.

This position supports frozen and shelf-stable soups, sauces, entrées/simple meals, dips, and new platforms. New-platform work includes new product formats and technologies that enable scalable solutions for emerging operator and channel opportunities.

What You Will Do…

• With minimal supervision, develop and manage technical timelines and activities for multiple product-development projects. Partner with Marketing, Sales, Culinary, Insights, Supply Chain, and Commercialization Planning to define milestones, R&D activities, and timing.
• Lead projects from concept through commercialization based on product-design criteria and operator and consumer feedback. Build and refine prototypes to identify winning formulations.
• Work with Process R&D, Engineering, Packaging, Operations, suppliers, and co-manufacturers to define manufacturing needs and equipment requirements.
• Lead trials in pilot plants and manufacturing facilities, including co-manufacturers, to assess scale-up feasibility, production repeatability, and finished-product specifications.
• Proactively apply scientific knowledge and technical skills to business issues and opportunities. Incorporate operator and consumer feedback into prototype development.
• Deliver products against business objectives, including cost, nutrition, quality, and food guardrail targets.
• Perform analyses, testing, and experiments to develop or improve products and processes.
• Identify and communicate constraints and risks, solve technical problems, and provide sound technical guidance, proposals, and recommendations.
• Adapt formulations and processes to internal and external manufacturing systems.
• Lead operator collaboration, concept development, menu-gap analysis, and efforts to win new business.
• Provide technical leadership in operator-facing meetings and presentations.
• Partner with Marketing, Sales, Culinary, and Insights to identify and build concepts for new products and platforms.
• Translate culinary trends and operator and consumer insights into prototypes, line extensions, new product formats, and technologies that support scalable operator and channel opportunities.
• Establish and maintain shelf-life studies for assigned projects and lead competitive benchmarking. Apply findings to product design, quality improvement, and business-development opportunities.
• Manage and prioritize multiple projects while remaining flexible as operator and business needs change.
• Work effectively through ambiguity, identify critical-path activities and risks, persevere through less-defined work, and communicate implications to business partners and management.
• Collaborate with Purchasing on ingredient supply and costing; partner with Process R&D, Engineering, Packaging, Operations, and Supply Chain on equipment and manufacturing requirements; and leverage internal and external expertise to resolve technical challenges.
• Adapt Campbell formulations and processes to co-manufacturer equipment and systems while maintaining product quality, feasibility, and repeatability.
• Apply proficient technical R&D expertise and a strong understanding of scale-up and manufacturing challenges.
• Demonstrate financial and business acumen, including P&Ls, menu engineering, ingredient costing, and food cost.

Who You Will Work With…

This position reports directly to the Director of R&D, Campbell Food Service.

The role requires cross-functional partnership with Process R&D, Engineering, Packaging, Sensory, Purchasing, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Marketing, Sales, Culinary, Insights, operators, suppliers, and co-manufacturers throughout development and commercialization.

This position will also work with external partners, including co-manufacturers and operators.

What You Bring to the Table… (Must Have)

• B.S. in Food Science or a related field.
• 5+ years of CPG or foodservice product-development experience.
• Must be available to travel to operators, suppliers, co-manufacturers, and production facilities 20–30% of the time.

It Would be Great if You Have… (Nice to Have)

• M.S. in Food Science or a related field.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment and communicate and influence clearly, verbally and in writing, with cross-functional teams, operators, external partners, and R&D management.
• Comfortable driving decisions, delegating work to contractors, technologists, or co-ops as appropriate, and providing training, coaching, and feedback.
• Strong organizational, project-management, prioritization, presentation, and documentation skills.
• Ability to deal with ambiguity, adapt to change, persevere on less-defined projects, and creatively solve problems.
• Ability to translate and communicate complex technical information clearly and effectively to technical teams, business partners, operators, and other internal and external audiences, tailoring the level of detail and message to support understanding and decision-making.
• Passion for culinary arts, food, innovation, and building trusted operator relationships.

Working Conditions:

• Ability to work in a hybrid environment based in the Camden office, with work in kitchens and the pilot plant, as well as at operator locations, supplier and co-manufacturer sites, and manufacturing facilities.
• Physical ability to handle weights of approximately thirty pounds.
• Ability to walk or stand at times for up to 75% of the workday.
• Willingness and ability to taste and evaluate a wide range of food products and ingredients.

Ability to work in kitchen, pilot plant, and manufacturing plant environments that expose employees to heat, hot food products, coolers, and freezers and require the use of personal protective equipment

Compensation and Benefits: The target base salary range for this full-time, salaried position is between $116,200-$159,800. Individual base pay depends on work location and additional factors such as experience, job-related skills, and relevant education or training. Total pay may include other forms of compensation. In addition, we offer competitive health, dental, 401k and wellness benefits beginning on the first day of employment. Please ask your Talent Acquisition Partner for more information about our total rewards package.

The Company is committed to providing equal opportunity for employees and qualified applicants in all aspects of the employment relationship, including consideration for employment, without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, marital status, protected veteran status, disability, age, religion, or any other classification protected by law.