Food Scientist - Baked Goods

Position: Food Scientist - Baked Goods ($150-175k)
Reference:  Scientist - Frozen & Pre-Proofed Dough(5-10 years experience required, strong package on offer inlcuding relocation assistance to facilitate move to the South-East based plant)

Position Overview We are seeking an experienced Food Scientist to join a commercial bakery environment with a focus on the development and commercialization of frozen and pre-proofed dough products.

This is a highly hands-on role covering the full product development cycle - from initial formulation and laboratory trials through scale-up, plant trials, commercialization, and ongoing product optimization. The successful candidate will work across both straight-dough and laminated-dough applications, including croissants, Danish pastries, puff pastry, enriched and sweet dough systems.

The role will suit a technically strong bakery scientist who is comfortable moving between the laboratory and manufacturing floor and who understands how ingredient selection, processing conditions, freezing, storage, thawing, proofing and baking ultimately affect finished-product performance.

A significant component of the position will involve frozen shelf-life and product stability, including designing studies, monitoring performance through storage and distribution, interpreting results, and establishing practical product-performance and storage recommendations.

You will work closely with teams across Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Engineering and Sales, as well as directly supporting customer requirements. The position requires strong technical documentation, data analysis and project-management skills, alongside a practical understanding of commercial bakery manufacturing.

All development and manufacturing activity must align with the site's nut-free manufacturing requirements and applicable allergen-control procedures.

Key Areas of Responsibility Product Development & Formulation Take ownership of new frozen and pre-proofed dough development projects from initial concept through commercial launch.

Develop and refine formulations across straight and laminated dough platforms, including croissants, Danish, puff pastry, enriched doughs, sweet doughs and related bakery products.

Balance product requirements including flavor, texture, volume, layering, appearance, machinability, proof tolerance, finished weight, bake performance and shelf life.

Investigate ingredient performance and optimize the use of flour, fats, butter and butter blends, shortenings, yeast, sweeteners, emulsifiers, enzymes, conditioners, flavors, inclusions, fillings and toppings.

Conduct practical laboratory trials covering mixing, sheeting, lamination, dividing, shaping, proofing, freezing, thawing, baking and sensory assessment.

Develop and maintain robust formulations and technical recommendations based on trial results and product requirements.

Frozen Stability & Shelf-Life Develop appropriate shelf-life protocols for individual products, taking into account their intended storage, distribution and end-use conditions.

Establish testing schedules, storage environments, controls, sampling procedures and evaluation criteria.

Assess the effects of frozen storage, freeze/thaw exposure, temperature variation, packaging and distribution on dough and finished-product performance.

Analyze stability and shelf-life results and identify product limitations, risks and opportunities for improvement.

Work with Quality, Operations and customers to establish realistic product-performance expectations and support shelf-life validation.

Use data and sensory observations to make clear technical recommendations around storage conditions and product longevity.

Scale-Up & Commercialization Own the technical handover of successful laboratory concepts into pilot and full-scale manufacturing.

Organize and participate in plant trials, commercialization runs, start-ups and process-validation activities.

Ensure laboratory processes can be translated into reliable production methods that work within the realities of plant equipment, line speeds, labor and capacity.

Establish and validate key process and product parameters including dough temperature, piece weight, dimensions, mixing conditions, rest periods, lamination, proofing, freezing, thawing, baking and moisture/texture targets.

Support equipment trials and evaluations involving mixers, sheeters, laminators, make-up systems, proofers, freezers, ovens and packaging equipment.

Troubleshoot manufacturing and product-quality issues, including problems associated with…