Staff Scientist, Salty R&D — Drive Snack Innovation

Hershey Company; Hershey (PA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & Wellbeing: Medical, dental, &

401(k) with company match

Paid time off & holidays

Flexible working where applicable

Job summary

The Hershey Company in Hershey, PA is seeking a Staff Scientist, Salty R&D to provide technical leadership for medium to high complexity product development across the Salty Snacks portfolio.

You will collaborate cross-functionally, drive formulation, process development, scale-up, and help bring new baked and salty snack products from concept to commercialization. Applicants should have 5+ years in food science and a proven record of product commercialization; travel up to 25-30%.

Qualifications

• BS, MS, or PhD in Food Science, Chemical Engineering, Food Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience with baked snacks formulation and processing is required.

Responsibilities

• Lead product development projects from concept through commercialization, partnering with Marketing, suppliers, Manufacturing, Engineering, QRC, Project Management, and Innovation teams.
• Drive development of next-generation baked and salty snack products through formulation, process development, and scale-up.
• Identify and evaluate emerging ingredients, technologies, and industry trends through supplier engagement and industry events.
• Design, execute, document, and communicate research related to salty snack formulation and baking processes.
• Analyze technical and consumer data to generate actionable insights and recommendations.
• Provide technical expertise supporting innovation, renovation, and maintenance initiatives across the Salty Snacks portfolio.
• Travel domestically up to 25-30% as required.
• 5+ years of relevant experience in food science, product development, or related technical disciplines.
• Proven record of successfully commercializing new products and delivering product improvements.
• Experience with baked snack formulation, processing, sensory evaluation, analytical testing, and scale-up activities.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multiple projects simultaneously with limited supervision.
• Strong collaboration skills and experience working across functions and with external partners, including suppliers, consultants, and co-manufacturers.
• Experience mentoring junior scientists and providing technical leadership to cross-functional teams.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and the ability to learn new systems and platforms.
• Ability to occasionally support projects outside standard business hours, including nights or weekends.

Skills

Food science

Product development

Cross-functional collaboration

Mentoring

Project management

Education

BS/MS/PhD in Food Science or related

Job description

The Hershey Company in Hershey, PA is seeking a Staff Scientist, Salty R&D to provide technical leadership for medium to high complexity product development across the Salty Snacks portfolio.

You will collaborate cross-functionally, drive formulation, process development, scale-up, and help bring new baked and salty snack products from concept to commercialization. Applicants should have 5+ years in food science and a proven record of product commercialization; travel up to 25-30%.