Sr. Food Scientist

Ardent Mills; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 95,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental and Vision Coverage

Health Savings Accounts

Life and Disability Programs

Voluntary Benefit Programs

Wellness Programs

Retirement Savings with Company Match

PTO and Holidays

Employee Recognition Program

Job summary

Ardent Mills is seeking a Sr. Food Scientist in Denver, CO to lead development and optimization of grain- and legume-based products, with a focus on baking applications. You will design experiments, analyze data, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to move concepts from idea to launch.

The ideal candidate has 5–8 years in food product development, strong baking science knowledge, and experience scaling processing. A Bachelor's in Food Science is required; Master's is preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Grain Science, Baking Science, Cereal Chemistry, or a related technical discipline required.
• Master's degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead product development and innovation projects from concept through commercialization.
• Design, execute, and interpret baking, ingredient functionality, and application trials.
• Develop and optimize formulas, processing parameters, and product specifications.
• Evaluate flour and ingredient performance across bakery and food applications.
• Partner with Operations, Milling, Engineering and Quality teams to ensure products are scalable and manufacturable.

Skills

Baking science

Ingredient functionality

Analytical skills

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Statistical analysis tools

Job description

The Sr. Food Scientist is responsible for developing and optimizing grain- and legume- based food products and ingredient solutions, with a particular focus on baking applications. You will lead experimental work, analyze technical data, collaborate with cross‑functional teams, and support the commercialization of new products from concept through launch. This role requires a strong foundation in baking science, ingredient functionality, and product development, as well as the ability to translate customer and market needs into innovative solutions.

Responsibilities

Lead product development and innovation projects from concept through commercialization. Design, execute, and interpret baking, ingredient functionality, and application trials. Develop and optimize formulas, processing parameters, and product specifications. Evaluate flour and ingredient performance across a variety of bakery and food applications. Partner with Operations, Milling, Engineering and Quality teams to ensure products are scalable, manufacturable, and meet performance expectations. Analyze technical data and translate findings into actionable recommendations. Lead plant trials, product scale-up activities, and commercialization efforts. Collaborate with Marketing and Commercial teams to identify market opportunities and support innovation initiatives. Develop technical reports, product specifications, and application guidance. Monitor industry trends, emerging ingredients, and new technologies to identify innovation opportunities. Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives and technical capability development within the R&D organization.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Grain Science, Baking Science, Cereal Chemistry, or a related technical discipline required. Master's degree preferred.

Experience

Minimum of 5-8 years of experience in food product development, baking science, ingredient applications, or related R&D roles. Strong experience with commercial baking processes and baked goods formulation. Knowledge of flour functionality, grain‑based ingredients, dough systems, and ingredient interactions. Experience conducting laboratory, pilot plant, and production‑scale trials. Demonstrated success leading product development projects from concept through commercialization. Strong analytical, troubleshooting, project management, and communication skills. Ability to work effectively across R&D, Operations, Quality, Commercial, and Marketing teams.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in flour milling, grain‑based ingredients, or cereal science. Experience developing bread, buns, rolls, tortillas, pizza crusts, sweet baked goods, snacks, or other bakery applications. Familiarity with commercial food manufacturing and processing environments. Experience with experimental design and statistical analysis tools.

Location & Work Environment

Full‑time position based in Denver, Colorado. This role is onsite and requires five (5) days per week in the office, laboratory, pilot plant, and bakery environments. Occasional travel (up to 15‑20%) for plant trials, customer visits, supplier collaborations, and industry events. This role is based at the Ardent Mills Innovation Center (AMIC), located within our Denver, Colorado headquarters. Due to the nature of the position and the collaborative, hands‑on work performed, regular on‑site presence is required to perform the essential functions of the role.

Physical & Product Handling Requirements

• Ability to work safely in laboratory, pilot plant, bakery, and manufacturing environments.
• Ability to regularly handle, evaluate, and consume products containing wheat and other grain-based ingredients.
• Lifting/Carrying: Capable of carrying items up to 50 lbs.
• Ability to work with and around all major food allergens, including but not limited to wheat, milk, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, fish, and shellfish.
• Ability to taste and evaluate food products as part of product development, quality assessments, and sensory evaluations.

Employment Type / Additional Information

Employment Type: Full time

Competitive Compensation: We provide market-driven base pay, based on skills, abilities, and level of experiences. Our salary ranges are broad, and individual salary will be market competitive based on a candidate’s unique set of skills and level of experience. The starting range for this position is $95,000.00 - $115,000.00, with additional earning potential possible commensurate with experience. Additionally, we believe that our team members are the reason for our success and all team members are incentive eligible with a target based on contribution, company performance, and individual results achieved. While the specific bonus plan and target amount will be determined based on the role and breadth of contributions, the targeted bonus plan and targeted percentage amount for this role is Bonus - MIP, 10% Annual.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental and Vision Coverage
• Health and Dependent Savings Accounts
• Life and Disability Programs
• Voluntary Benefit Programs
• Company Sponsored Wellness Programs
• Retirement Savings with Company Match
• Team Member and Family Assistance Program (EAP)
• Paid Time Off and Paid Holidays
• Employee Recognition Program with Rewards (RAVE).

Application Deadline

Application Deadline: 10/04/2026

EEO Commitment

At Ardent Mills, everyone matters and everyone has a voice. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal opportunities are available to all applicants and team members and the decisions will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, genetic information, veteran status, age, political affiliation, or any other non‑merit characteristic protected by law or not. Together, celebrating our differences, we make Ardent Mills.

En Ardent Mills, todos importan y todos tienen voz. Estamos comprometidos a brindar un ambiente de respeto mutuo donde haya igualdad de oportunidades disponibles para todos los solicitantes y miembros del equipo y las decisiones se basarán en el mérito, la competencia, el desempeño y las necesidades comerciales. Estamos orgullosos de ser un empleador que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades. No discriminamos por motivos de raza, color, religión, credo, origen nacional, ascendencia, estado civil, sexo, orientación sexual, identidad o expresión de género, discapacidad física o mental, embarazo, información genética, condición de veterano, edad, política. afiliación, o cualquier otra característica no meritoria protegida por ley o no. Juntos, celebrando nuestras diferencias, formamos Ardent Mills. La descripción del puesto anterior ha sido diseñada para indicar la naturaleza general y los deberes y responsabilidades esenciales del trabajo realizado por los empleados dentro de este puesto. Es posible que no contenga un inventario completo de todos los deberes, responsabilidades y calificaciones requeridas de los empleados en este puesto. La descripción, los deberes, las funciones y las responsabilidades están sujetos a cambios a discreción de Ardent Mills.

Role Designation

This role is based at the Ardent Mills Innovation Center (AMIC), located within our Denver, Colorado headquarters. Due to the nature of the position and the collaborative, hands‑on work performed, regular on‑site presence is required to perform the essential functions of the role.