Sr Research Scientist Sensory

Sr Research Scientist Sensory Innovation

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At The Hershey Company, our culture is rooted in purpose and inspired by Milton Hershey's enduring vision that business should create opportunity for others. Through our commitment to corporate philanthropy, we create positive impact by supporting communities, helping children thrive, and operating as a business for good. This includes our deep and long standing partnership with Milton Hershey School, where we invest in education, workforce readiness, and hands on engagement to help students succeed beyond the classroom.

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Job Location:

Hershey, PA

Reporting to the Sr. Manager, Sensory Innovation and based at The Hershey Company Technical Center, this role leads multiple medium‑complexity sensory and consumer research initiatives and supports more complex projects. The position requires expertise in sensory science, consumer research, statistics, and data visualization, with the ability to translate research findings into actionable business recommendations. Success in this role requires strong problem‑solving, critical thinking, stakeholder influence, and effective communication across technical and non‑technical audiences.

• Serve as the sensory research lead for assigned brands.
• Design, execute, analyze, and communicate sensory and consumer research studies independently and collaboratively.
• Lead sensory research supporting innovation, product improvements, and margin enhancement initiatives.
• Apply analytical sensory methods alongside consumer testing to meet project objectives.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of new sensory and consumer research capabilities.

• Product Development
• Commercial & Innovation Marketing
• Consumer Insights
• Quality & Regulatory Compliance
• Technology Development
• External Research Suppliers

• Up to 10% travel, primarily within the United States.

• Proven success applying sensory and consumer research to support new product launches and product improvements.
• Strong knowledge of quantitative and qualitative consumer research methods (e.g., CLTs, HUTs, focus groups, ethnography, online surveys).
• Experience with analytical sensory methods, including descriptive and discrimination testing.
• Expertise in research design, statistical analysis, and translating complex data into actionable business insights.
• Experience with DOE, Drivers of Liking, product/process optimization, and category assessments.
• Proficiency with statistical software such as JMP, R, SPSS, SAS, Minitab, or similar tools. Experience with sensory data collection systems, preferably Eye Question, Compusense, or Red Jade. Curiosity and adaptability in applying emerging technologies, including AI‑enabled analytics, text generation, and predictive modeling.
• Strong collaboration, communication, organizational, and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrated…