Senior Scientist - Decatur, IL

Employment Type:

Full-Time, Exempt

ADM is a global leader in plant-based nutrition, offering innovative solutions that meet consumer demand for great taste, texture, and health. As a Senior Scientist – Food Processing, you will play a critical role in advancing ADM’s research and development efforts in plant-based ingredients. Using cutting‑edge laboratory technologies, you will focus on ingredient and material characterization of Plant Protein Ingredients during Extraction and Extrusion processes to drive innovation and productivity projects that achieve commercial success.

This position reports to the Technical Director of Food Processing Technology within the Human Nutrition Research team.

• Develop and implement advanced characterization techniques to understand the structure/function and performance of feed ingredients, intermediates and protein extrudates in food applications – conduct hands‑on analytical testing to characterize materials.
• Leverage scientifically valid approaches to develop and refine ingredient characterization methodologies.
• Evaluate and acquire new instruments and technologies for ingredient characterization – ensuring safe commissioning, SOP development, and compliance with safety standards.
• Design and execute benchtop scale trials to assess new and improved protein extraction or extrusion process.
• Stay abreast of industry trends and identify emerging technologies to enhance ADM’s R&D capabilities.
• Collaborate with other experts within ADM Research (Material Science, Analytical) and with outside Innovation and Academic Partners to solve technical problems.
• Assist Operations and Manufacturing partners with troubleshooting and root‑cause analysis for issues at Industrial Scale.

• Collaborate with extrusion and extraction teams to guide the capture and analysis of data during trials – providing insights to enable achievement of project goals.
• Organize and manage trial data to support advanced analytics and future experimental planning.
• Partner with data scientists to derive insights and inform decision‑making for new product and process development.
• Act as the Subject Matter Expert for statistical analysis and scientific experimental design.

• Lead R&D projects from concept to commercialization, including experimental design, data analysis, and stakeholder communication.
• Document and communicate results through accurate trial documentation and reporting.
• Utilize project management tools to effectively manage projects.

• Champion lab safety by maintaining compliance with safety protocols, documentation, and training.

• M.S or Ph.D. in Food Science, Food Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in food processing, with a proven track record of developing and scaling food technologies from ideation to commercialization.

• Expertise in plant‑based food processing and extrusion technology.
• Strong knowledge of ingredient characterization methods and their application in food product development.
• Proficiency in data analysis and collaboration with data science teams.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills for cross‑functional collaboration.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to lead multiple initiatives.
• A proactive mindset with a passion for innovation and problem‑solving.

• Willingness to travel globally up to 25 %.

• Access to state‑of‑the‑art R&D facilities and equipment.
• Opportunity to shape the future of plant‑based food innovation.
• Collaborate with a diverse team of industry leaders and experts.
• Be part of a company committed to sustainability, innovation, and safety.

Excited about this role but don’t think you meet every requirement listed? We encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings.

ADM requires the successful completion of a background check.

Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job‑related knowledge,…