Senior Application Scientist - Proteins

Roquette is a family‑owned global leader in plant‑based ingredients and a leading provider of pharmaceutical excipients.

Want to help us make a difference? Using plant‑based resources, we collaborate with our customers and partners to imagine and offer ingredients to better feed people and treat patients. Each of our ingredients responds to unique and essential needs, and they enable healthier lifestyles.

We are looking for our next Sr. Protein Applications Scientist within our Customer Technical Service team. The Sr. Protein Applications Scientist will serve as a technical leader, responsible for driving advanced protein‑containing application development, shaping long‑term innovation strategies, and guiding customer‑centric technical solutions. This role integrates deep scientific expertise, strong business acumen, and technical leadership to influence ingredient strategy, expand application capabilities, and mentor the broader technical organization.

Position location:

Geneva, IL – our U.S. headquarters.

The current salary range for this role is estimated to be $120,000‑$165,000. In addition, this position may also be eligible to earn performance‑based incentive compensation. The specific compensation offered to a candidate will be influenced by a variety of factors including but not limited to skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

• A highly collaborative team environment with ample room for exponential career growth.
• Competitive pay, annual performance bonus, comprehensive benefits, 6.2% company retirement contribution, and professional development opportunities.
• Generous paid time off and 12 annual paid company holidays.
• 12 weeks 100% paid maternity leave, and up to 4 weeks 100% paid parental leave (including adoption/surrogacy/foster care leave) for non‑birthing parents.
• Student loan repayment assistance and tuition reimbursement program for select roles.
• Annual wellness benefit and wellness‑centered programs focused on your health needs.

• Strategic Application Leadership
  • Develop advanced ingredient, formulation, and process solutions to support customer needs and highlight ingredient functionality and benefits.
  • Provide scientific evidence and structure‑function guidance to inform ingredient positioning and product development strategies.
  • Lead and coordinate complex application studies—from new ingredient innovation to range extensions.
• Innovation, IP & Technical Advancement
  • Generate new product concepts, process improvements, and application innovations.
  • Maintain expertise in market, consumer, and category trends to inform strategic development.
• Customer Engagement & High‑Impact Technical Support
  • Represent the organization as a senior technical expert at customer sites, corporate events, professional forums, and trade shows.
  • Support and sometimes lead customer trials—including those with high technical complexity—across internal, customer, or third‑party facilities.
  • Provide high‑level troubleshooting and scientifically supported recommendations for customer challenges.
• Cross‑Functional & Organizational Leadership
  • Serve as a senior collaborator with business teams, developing strong internal and external partnerships.
  • Coach, mentor, and technically develop members of the application and customer technical service community.
  • Provide training for customers, sales teams, and internal stakeholders; influence organizational capability growth.

Education:

• Ideal candidate will have a Ph.D. or Master’s degree in Food Science or related discipline, or more extensive practical experience in food production and/or consumer packaged food product development with demonstrated scientific capability.

Experience:

• Minimum of 10‑15 years experience in food applications and/or food product development.
• Experience fortifying foodstuffs with protein, preferably plant‑based protein.
• Candidate will have depth in at least one of the following application categories:
  Specialty Nutrition Beverage (RTD/RTM), Nutrient Dense Snacking/Baking.
• Preferred candidate will have additional breadth across one or more of the following categories:
  Alternative Dairy, Specialty Nutrition…