RD&A Senior Scientist - Dairy

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Requisition  

Position Type (US)
Full Time

Workplace Arrangement  #LI-Onsite

About Kerry

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day we partner with customers to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products that are consumed by billions of people across the world. Our vision is to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition. A career with Kerry offers you an opportunity to shape the future of food while providing you opportunities to explore and grow in a truly global environment.

About the role

We are seeking a highly motivated RD&A Scientist - Dairy Applications to support the research, development, and commercialization of innovative dairy solutions. This role is hands‑on and customer‑facing, working across the full development cycle - from concept through commercialization - including pilot plant trials, scale‑up, and technical troubleshooting.

The ideal candidate has strong dairy formulation and processing experience, enjoys working directly with customers, and thrives in a fast‑paced, collaborative environment.

Key responsibilities

+ Conduct research including new dairy product development and improvement of existing dairy formulations

+ Develop and optimize formulations, processes, and systems for dairy processing, production, quality control, and packaging

+ Work in the pilot plant and support production scale‑ups and commercializations of dairy products

+ Support internal and external customer projects from conceptual phase through commercialization and troubleshooting

+ Participate in ideation and brainstorming sessions for dairy innovation

+ Develop gold standards in collaboration with Culinary teams and Dairy Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)

+ Perform competitive product matching and dairy formulation optimization

+ Execute projects from concept to commercialization, following Kerry internal processes

+ Understand and troubleshoot customer dairy processing challenges (e.g., fermentation, heat treatment, texture, stability)

+ Serve as a key member of the customer‑facing technical team, delivering dairy solutions that "Nourish and Delight"

+ Coordinate with Sales and Culinary partners during customer meetings and technical presentations

+ Collaborate cross‑functionally to deliver best‑in‑class Taste and Nutrition dairy solutions

+ Develop and protect Intellectual Property by documenting research and development work

+ Study and apply methods to improve dairy product quality, including

+ Flavor and aroma

+ Texture and mouthfeel

+ Nutrition and functionality

+ Shelf life and microbiological stability

+ Manage project timelines effectively to meet customer and business needs

+ Travel to Kerry manufacturing facilities and customer sites as required

Physical & Sensory Requirements

+ Ability to taste and smell dairy products, ingredients, and flavors

+ Ability to stand for extended periods in laboratory and pilot plant environments

+ Ability to lift up to insert weight requirement lbs

+ Willingness to travel as needed

Qualifications and skills

+ Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Chemistry, Biology, Engineering, or a related applied science

+ Minimum 5 years of experience in dairy product development or dairy applications

+ Strong background in dairy chemistry, sensory science, microbiology, and food processing

+ Hands‑on experience with cultured dairy, cheese, dairy beverages, or dairy systems

+ Excellent verbal and written communication skills

+ Strong problem‑solving skills with the ability to work independently and collaboratively

+ Proficiency in Microsoft Office (SAP experience is a plus)

+ Ability to effectively lead technical project teams

Preferred

+ 5+ years of experience in dairy development or applications

+ MS or PhD in Food Science, Dairy Science, or Food Engineering

+

Experience with

+ Cultures and enzymes

+ Emulsification and stabilization

+ Thermal processing

+ Shelf‑life and microbiological testing

+ Demonstrated ability to drive continuous improvement and change management initiatives.

The pay range for this position is $70,100 - $122,000 in Annual Salary.  Kerry typically…