Sr Food Scientist

Tony's Pizza Events Center; Gahanna, Northern (OH, KY); Hybrid; USD 99,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full-time position

Employee benefits

Job summary

Schwan’s Shared Services, LLC in Gahanna, Ohio seeks a Senior Food Scientist - Protein to lead complex development projects and develop formulas and specs for new or improved products. The role requires applying chemistry, microbiology, and engineering to ensure safe, high-quality processed foods and optimizing ingredients and processes.

It includes collaborating with marketing, sales, operations, and external customers, with one day/week work-from-home allowed in the Columbus area.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree requires at least 2 years of food science experience.
• Bachelor’s degree requires at least 5 years of food science experience.
• Experience with qualitative and quantitative food research.
• Knowledge of plant-based meat analogues and protein-focused development.

Responsibilities

• Lead product development projects and create complex formulas and specs.
• Provide advanced technical support to marketing, sales, operations, and customers.
• Develop experimental formulas and validate processing procedures.
• Manage test runs and ensure reproducibility for production.
• Communicate project status and coordinate with teams.

Skills

Food science research

Product development

Quality & safety

Plant-based proteins

Education

Master's degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, or related field

Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, or related field

Job description

Senior Food Scientist - Protein. Schwan’s Shared Services, LLC, a subsidiary of Schwan’s Company, seeks a Senior Food Scientist - Protein at our facility in Gahanna, Ohio. This position, under limited supervision, is responsible for forming and leading product development projects by developing complex formulas, processing procedures, and specifications for new products, product enhancements, and cost reductions to meet project parameters and business unit strategies. Provide advanced technical support to marketing, sales, operations and external customers. Use chemistry, microbiology, engineering, and other sciences to study the principles underlying the processing and deterioration of foods; analyze food content; discover new food sources; research ways to make processed foods safe, palatable, and healthful; and apply food science knowledge to determine best ways to process, package, preserve, store, and distribute food. Provide advanced technical solutions to production issues as it relates to ingredients, formulas, processing procedures, and specifications to ensure continuous production of existing products and maintain product quality and safety. Develop experimental formulas, processing procedures, and specifications for raw ingredients, subassemblies, and finished products for simple new product, product improvement, and cost reduction that meet project parameters of established pricing, marketing goals, food regulations, and operation feasibility. Organize and manage complex test runs to validate or modify experimental formulas and processing procedures to develop final specifications and ensure reproducibility for the production of finished products and subassemblies. Establish team and work with members to ensure successful start-ups of new products, product improvements, cost reductions, and ingredients, formula, specification, or process changes. Evaluate ingredients and processing techniques to identify and commercialize product improvement and cost reduction opportunities. Evaluate, confirm acceptability, and create/update specifications and implement proposed ingredients or process for supplier optimization. Document all work according to established procedures and guidelines providing timely and effective oral and written communication and prepare various project reports to project personnel and project leader to ensure complete communication of project status, progress, issues, solutions, timeline, and accountability. Support innovation in the development of new ideas, new products or new product platforms through ideation sessions and bench top experimentation, along with the ability to effectively communicate the concept. Utilize technical curiosity and apply critical thinking across projects. Other duties, as assigned. Must have proof of legal authority to work in the U.S. Requirements – Education: Master’s degree (U.S. or foreign equivalent) in Food Science, Dairy Science, Foods & Nutrition Studies, Biological Sciences, Food Science and Technology or a closely related field. OR a bachelor’s degree (U.S. or foreign equivalent) in Food Science, Dairy Science, Foods & Nutrition Studies, Biological Sciences, Food Science and Technology or a closely related field. Experience: For candidates with the qualifying master’s degree – at least two years of experience as a Food Scientist, Food Technologist, Food Technologist I or II, or other similar food science position at a food manufacturer and distributor performing qualitative and quantitative food research, involving plant-based meat analogues, chicken or similar protein, including concept development and commercialization. For candidates with the qualifying bachelor’s degree – at least five years of experience as a Food Scientist, Food Technologist, Food Technologist I or II, or other similar food science position at a food manufacturer and distributor performing qualitative and quantitative food research, involving plant-based meat analogues, chicken or similar protein, including concept development and commercialization. Work from home, one day a week, in the Columbus, Ohio area is permitted but not required. The salary for this position has a range of $98,654 to $99,000, with standard employee benefits. This position is for full-time employment by Schwan’s Shared Services, LLC for employment in Gahanna, Ohio. EOE.