Sr Flavor Scientist

Company Overview

Ken Grossman started Sierra Nevada in 1980 with a hand‑built brewhouse and the odds stacked against him. That passion forever changed the course of American craft brewing and launched a beer revolution that's in full force today. Good beer can do a lot of good, and Sierra Nevada became a cornerstone for both its innovation and its care for the Earth and its people.

We’re committed to advancing a culture of inclusion and believe diversity in all its forms makes us stronger. We keep pushing boundaries, whether that’s in the brewhouse, with sustainability, or in the great outdoors.

The Sr. Flavor Scientist is an individual contributor who leads beverage development and commercialization projects from concept through scale‑up and market readiness. The role applies strong technical judgment, regulatory expertise, and cross‑functional collaboration to deliver compliant, scalable products, with particular ownership of Beyond Beer and non‑traditional beverage platforms. This position partners closely with R&D analytical scientists, Sensory Scientists, Innovation, QA, Regulatory, Operations, Insights, Supply Chain and others to translate product concepts into commercially viable solutions.

We’re offering $105,299 to $162,687 base compensation for this role. Individual offers are based on skills, experience, and qualifications. This role may be eligible for our bonus program – inquire for additional details.

Additional benefits include a generous 10% company match on 401(k) contributions, learning and development opportunities, safety training, state‑of‑the‑art equipment, preventative care, medical, dental, and vision insurance, an onsite medical clinic, and paid sick leave. We encourage a culture of work‑life balance and support employees to use and enjoy their paid time off.

• Lead beverage development and commercialization projects, including formulation refinement, process definition, scale‑up support, and launch readiness.
• Serve as technical owner for Beyond Beer and non‑traditional beverage initiatives, working closely with the Insights and Innovation teams to translate concepts into scalable products.
• Source and qualify raw materials and flavors in partnership with Supply Chain, ensuring availability, cost alignment, and technical suitability for commercialization.
• Own and maintain the flavor and ingredient database, ensuring accurate documentation, specifications, regulatory status, and readiness for development and scale‑up.
• Support nutrition labeling, ingredient statements, and regulatory documentation in collaboration with QA, R&D, Compliance, and Innovation partners.
• Collaborate with R&D analytical staff to define testing needs, interpret results, and apply data to formulation and process decisions.
• Ensure ingredient and formulation readiness for commercialization by defining clear specifications, use parameters, and process requirements prior to pilot and production trials.
• Apply working knowledge of TTB and FDA regulations to ensure formulations, processes, and documentation meet regulatory requirements.
• Communicate technical risks, trade‑offs, and recommendations clearly to cross‑functional stakeholders while supporting GMP compliance and development readiness.

• Bachelor’s Degree or Master’s degree in a scientific discipline (Food Science, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Brewing/Fermentation Science, Microbiology, Biology, or related field) required.
• 7 years of product development experience commercializing beverage products, including scale‑up, launch preparation, and post‑launch technical support, required.
• Strong practical knowledge of TTB and FDA beverage regulations, including familiarity with nutrition labeling requirements and regulatory documentation.
• Experience defining product and process specifications to support manufacturing consistency and quality.
• Experience using Genesis R&D, ESHA, or comparable formulation, ingredient, and nutrition labeling software.
• Proven ability to lead cross‑functional projects involving R&D, QA, Regulatory, Operations, and Supply Chain.
• Working understanding of analytical testing approaches and ability to collaborate effectively with laboratory‑focused R&D staff.
• Project management capabilities, including scope definition, timeline management, risk identification, and stakeholder coordination.

• Selected candidate must pass a pre‑employment, post‑offer background check.

Before applying for this role, please review the full job description, including the physical demands and working environment:

This position will remain open until filled; online applications will be reviewed weekly

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is an Equal Opportunity Employer