SME - CD&D Bakery Color - Erlanger, KY

Senior Scientist, CD&D Bakery Color – Erlanger, KY

The CD&D Colors Application Scientist (Bakery & Cereal) serves as a technical subject matter expert in color application across bakery and cereal systems, delivering innovative, scalable solutions that meet evolving regulatory, consumer, and customer demands.

This role focuses on natural color performance across bakery and cereal platforms (e.g., cakes, cookies, icings, fillings, extruded cereals, coated cereals, bars), translating color science into robust, commercially viable applications.

The ideal candidate combines expertise in bakery and cereal formulation and processing with deep knowledge of color chemistry to address stability, shade and performance challenges in complex thermal and low‑moisture systems.

• Application Development & Technical Expertise
  • Design and execute experiments evaluating color performance in bakery and cereal systems (high vs. low moisture, baked vs. extruded, dough vs. coating applications).
  • Assess color stability under critical conditions, including:
    • Water activity and moisture migration
    • Thermal processing (baking, extrusion)
    • Ingredient interactions and shelf‑life stability
    • Storage conditions and oxidation
  • Evaluate color interactions with ingredients such as flours, sugars, fats, proteins, leavening systems and inclusions.
  • Generate actionable technical insights to guide formulation recommendations and optimize performance.
• Subject Matter Leadership – Bakery & Cereal
  • Act as the go‑to expert for bakery and cereal color applications across CD&D and commercial teams.
  • Lead troubleshooting for complex challenges, including:
    • Color degradation under high heat processing
    • Variability due to Maillard browning and base matrix color
    • Shade consistency across scale‑up and production
  • Develop and maintain best practices and application guidelines for internal and external stakeholders.
• Customer Collaboration & Commercialization
  • Partner directly with customers’ R&D teams to deliver concept‑through‑commercialization support, particularly in transitioning to natural colors.
  • Translate technical findings into clear, concise customer‑ready recommendations.
  • Support customer engagements, including pilot and plant trials, lab work and technical presentations.
  • Enable commercial success through fit‑for‑purpose color solutions that meet cost, performance and regulatory needs.
• Innovation & Portfolio Development
  • Identify gaps and emerging needs in the bakery & cereal color portfolio (e.g., clean label, heat‑stable colors).
  • Collaborate with Color and Product Development teams to:
    • Develop new bakery‑ and cereal‑ready color solutions.
    • Enhance stability in demanding conditions (high heat, low moisture).
  • Contribute to innovation pipelines aligned to key trends and customer needs (better‑for‑you baked goods, protein‑enriched products, snack and cereal innovation).
• Cross‑Functional Partnership
  • Work closely with internal CD&D, Regulatory, Marketing and Commercial teams to ensure alignment between technical abilities and commercial strategy.
  • Contribute to the development of technical training materials and best‑practice guides for color use.

• Bachelor’s or higher in Food Science, Chemistry or related field.
• 5–10+ years in food applications, with a strong focus on bakery and/or cereal systems.
• Demonstrated expertise in color application, stability and troubleshooting.
• Experience with natural colors and FD&C replacement strategies strongly preferred.
• Deep knowledge of bakery and cereal formulation and processing technologies, color chemistry and stability principles, and ingredient interactions in complex, low‑moisture systems.
• Hands‑on experience with bench and pilot‑scale baking and/or extrusion systems and analytical and sensory evaluation of color performance.

• Strong problem‑solving and experimental design capability.
• Customer‑facing communication skills (executive and technical audiences).
• Ability to translate technical insights into commercial impact.
• Collaborative mindset across global teams.

• Recognized internally and externally as a bakery & cereal color expert.
• Drives high win rates through technically differentiated…