Sr Research Scientist Sensory

Hershey Company; Hershey (PA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

The Hershey Company in Hershey, PA, is seeking a Sr Research Scientist Sensory Innovation to lead sensory and consumer research for key brands. You will design, execute, analyze, and communicate studies, translating results into actionable product and margin improvements.

Travel up to 10% supports cross‑functional collaboration and external partnerships. Required qualifications include an MS in a related field or BS with significant experience, plus expertise in sensory methods, statistics, and

Qualifications

• MS in Food Science, Psychology, Statistics, or related field with emphasis in Sensory and Consumer Research and 2–4 years of relevant experience; or BS with 4–6 years of relevant experience.
• A degree or certification in Market Research is a plus.
• Strong knowledge of sensory and consumer research methods and data interpretation.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the sensory research lead for assigned brands.
• Design, execute, analyze, and communicate sensory and consumer research studies independently and collaboratively.
• Lead sensory research supporting innovation, product improvements, and margin enhancement initiatives.
• Apply analytical sensory methods alongside consumer testing to meet project objectives.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of new sensory and consumer research capabilities.

Skills

Sensory science

Consumer research

Statistics

Data visualization

DOE

AI analytics

Microsoft 365

Education

MS in Food Science or related field

Market Research certification (plus)

Tools

JMP

R

SPSS

SAS

Minitab

EyeQuestion

Compusense

RedJade

Job description

Sr Research Scientist Sensory Innovation

Note: If you apply for a role at Hershey through our career's website, we may use technologies that use automation to filter your candidacy based on objective criteria. We also use AI-enabled tools that help us facilitate the selection of our future Hershey talent. These tools may help with activities such as matching and scoring candidates to roles based on requirements and scheduling interviews. These systems process only the information you provide in your application, including your resume, work history, education, and responses to screening questions. While these technologies assist with certain steps in our recruitment process and may provide recommendations, all final decisions, including those affecting whether candidates advance to subsequent stages in the applicant process, are made by our talent acquisition teams with meaningful human review and independent judgment. Depending on your location and the specific role you apply for, additional disclosures about our use of AI in recruitment may be provided to you separately.

Why Hershey:

At The Hershey Company, our culture is rooted in purpose and inspired by Milton Hershey's enduring vision that business should create opportunity for others. Through our commitment to corporate philanthropy, we create positive impact by supporting communities, helping children thrive, and operating as a business for good. This includes our deep and long standing partnership with Milton Hershey School, where we invest in education, workforce readiness, and hands on engagement to help students succeed beyond the classroom. Supported by strategic grantmaking, product donations, cross brand collaboration, and strong employee volunteerism, Hershey offers a place to work where making a difference‑locally and globally‑is part of how we do business every day.

Job Location: Hershey, PA

Reporting to the Sr. Manager, Sensory Innovation and based at The Hershey Company Technical Center, this role leads multiple medium‑complexity sensory and consumer research initiatives and supports more complex projects. The position requires expertise in sensory science, consumer research, statistics, and data visualization, with the ability to translate research findings into actionable business recommendations. Success in this role requires strong problem‑solving, critical thinking, stakeholder influence, and effective communication across technical and non‑technical audiences.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the sensory research lead for assigned brands.
• Design, execute, analyze, and communicate sensory and consumer research studies independently and collaboratively.
• Lead sensory research supporting innovation, product improvements, and margin enhancement initiatives.
• Apply analytical sensory methods alongside consumer testing to meet project objectives.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of new sensory and consumer research capabilities.

Key Partnerships

• Product Development
• Commercial & Innovation Marketing
• Consumer Insights
• Quality & Regulatory Compliance
• Technology Development
• External Research Suppliers

Travel

• Up to 10% travel, primarily within the United States.

Accountabilities

• Proven success applying sensory and consumer research to support new product launches and product improvements.
• Strong knowledge of quantitative and qualitative consumer research methods (e.g., CLTs, HUTs, focus groups, ethnography, online surveys).
• Experience with analytical sensory methods, including descriptive and discrimination testing.
• Expertise in research design, statistical analysis, and translating complex data into actionable business insights.
• Experience with DOE, Drivers of Liking, product/process optimization, and category assessments.
• Proficiency with statistical software such as JMP, R, SPSS, SAS, Minitab, or similar tools. Experience with sensory data collection systems, preferably EyeQuestion, Compusense, or RedJade. Curiosity and adaptability in applying emerging technologies, including AI‑enabled analytics, text generation, and predictive modeling.
• Strong collaboration, communication, organizational, and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrated leadership, business acumen, and conflict management capabilities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook); experience with Copilot or similar AI tools is a plus.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work independently with minimal supervision.

Minimum Education & Requirements

MS in Food Science, Psychology, Statistics, or a related field with an emphasis in Sensory and Consumer Research and 2‑4 years of relevant experience; or BS with 4‑6 years of relevant experience.

A degree or certification in Market Research is a plus.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Hershey Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The policy of The Hershey Company is to extend opportunities to qualified applicants and employees on an equal basis regardless of an individual's race, color, gender, age, national origin, religion, citizenship status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other categories protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

The Hershey Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Minority/Female/Disabled/Protected Veterans.

Accommodations

You may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our online application process as a result of a disability. You can request an accommodation via phone or email.

To request an accommodation via phone, please call [phone] and leave a voicemail with your contact information. You may also email a request for accommodation to [e-mail]. Please be sure to include "Accommodation Needed" in the subject line. This will ensure that your email is routed to the appropriate contact who will handle your request.

Nearest Major Market: Harrisburg