Scientist, Pharmaceutical Science​/ Research, Research Scientist

Tropicana Headquarters
525 W Van Buren St
Suite 1100
Chicago, IL 60607, USA

Tropicana Brands Group represents an exciting fusion of some of the world's most beloved and up-and-coming brands in the juice category, including Tropicana, Naked, KeVita, Izze, Dole, Copella and Punica. Tropicana Brands Group was established in 2022 as a joint venture between PAI Partners and Pepsi Co. Our new company blends the best of two worlds: one steeped in industry‑leading expertise and the heritage of prestige juice brands, and another rooted in a true entrepreneurial, agile mindset.

With a global footprint of more than 2,000 associates that spans North America and Europe, we are proud of our industry‑leading capabilities in areas that include innovation, R&D, manufacturing, distribution, sales, marketing and nutrition expertise.

The company is focused on the vision to quench the world's thirst for more delight and nourishment, while continuing to build upon the many important diversity, sustainability, local community and philanthropic activities that our people and brands have historically supported.

Tropicana Brands Group R&D is looking for a highly qualified Scientist to support productivity projects, quality improvement initiatives, systems and process development, and select consumer-driven innovation. The ideal candidate will be a curious, hands‑on, detail‑oriented product developer with strong math and technical calculation skills, strong Excel and PowerPoint capability, and effective communication and collaboration skills in a fast‑paced environment.

As part of an entrepreneurial culture, the ideal candidate will bring an ownership mindset, a consumer‑first approach, a process‑minded way of working, and a willingness to learn and grow within a nimble R&D organization. Comfort working through ambiguity, adapting quickly, managing details accurately, and applying sound technical judgment is important. Successful candidates enjoy hands‑on beverage product development, structured documentation, and cross‑functional collaboration while contributing to well‑established and loved brands within a growing beverage company.

The position is based in Chicago, IL.

• Execute productivity initiatives, including formulation, process, ingredient, and cost optimization opportunities
• Support execution of assigned quality improvement projects by applying scientific methods, data analysis, and technical problem‑solving to product and process challenges
• Support End-to-End Quality Program activities, including documentation, cross‑functional follow‑up, and execution of assigned R&D actions
• Support the development, improvement, and maintenance of standardized R&D processes, procedures, templates, and ways of working to improve consistency, clarity, and execution across the organization.
• Plan, execute, document, and interpret laboratory, pilot plant, and manufacturing‑scale experiments to develop technical recommendations for product, process, quality, and productivity opportunities
• Support select consumer‑driven innovation and renovation projects, including beverage formulation, ingredient selection, sensory evaluation, shelf‑life support, and scale‑up from laboratory through commercial manufacturing
• Perform and verify R&D calculations, including formulation math, ingredient usage, percent solids, dilution, yield, cost, and related beverage development calculations
• Create clear, accurate technical documentation for assigned projects, including experiment summaries, formulation records, specifications, trial reports, technical recommendations, and project updates.
• Support plant trials and commercialization activities, including process validation, startup support, and troubleshooting during manufacturing implementation
• Leverage external and internal experts for key analytical, sensory and consumer research
• Perform economic evaluations on ingredients, ingredient suppliers, and product formulations to drive profitability
• Participate as an active member of cross‑functional project teams, partnering with Marketing, Purchasing, Engineering, Operations, Quality, and other groups
• Develop and maintain complete…