Senior Food Scientist

Company Description

Come work with Tofurky! We are the Nation's leading manufacturer of plant-based proteins and dairy-free cheeses. Our range of 35+ products can be found in more than 25,000 grocery stores throughout North America. We're on a mission to erase the myth that people have to make a choice between enjoying tasty food OR taking care of themselves and the planet. We can do both!

The Senior Food Scientist is a full-time, on-site role based in Hood River, OR. This role is a hands-on technical leader responsible for driving the development, improvement, and commercialization of our plant-based protein and dairy-free cheese products. Reporting to the VP of R&D, this role owns projects from concept through production scale-up, leads plant trials, drives cost-savings and quality initiatives, and serves as a senior technical resource across the R&D team.

This position is designed for an experienced food scientist who can work autonomously, lead multiple projects in parallel, and thrive in a fast-moving, small-team environment.

The ideal candidate is curious, detail-oriented, and highly organized. You document your work meticulously because you know reproducibility matters and that institutional knowledge must survive turnover. You're an easy-going team player who is comfortable in a startup-like environment, moving fast, prioritizing effectively, and leading projects from bench to shelf.

• Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry, Biology, Engineering, or a related discipline, with experience scaled to the degree level Bachelor's degree and 7-8+ years of food product development experience; or Master's degree and 5+ years of food product development experience; or Ph.D. in a related field and 2-3+ years of industry product development experience (this is an experienced, hands-on role, recent Ph.D. graduates without industry experience are not a good fit).
• A proven track record of developing and commercializing successful food product formulations in a manufacturing or CPG environment.
• Demonstrated experience executing development from bench to production scale for new products, product improvements, and cost-savings projects.
• Experience designing and conducting plant trials and new product start-ups.
• Strong ability to find ingredient alternatives, optimize formulas, and enhance ingredient functionality for cost savings.
• Knowledge of food processing technology, ingredient functionality, formulation techniques, sensory analysis, food cost and scaling, and food storage and packaging.
• Working knowledge of food safety (GMP, HACCP) and regulatory/labeling requirements; experience with nutritional labeling software (Genesis preferred).
• Excellent project management skills with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple projects independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience with plant-based or alternative protein/dairy products is highly desired.