Flavorist; Sweet + Beverage

CS Group is seeking a skilled and creative Flavorist to join our Research + Development Team. Our Flavorist will develop, match, and optimize flavor formulations for a wide range of food and beverage products. This role combines chemistry expertise with sensory insight into creating high-quality, consistent, and innovative flavor solutions, with a specialized focus on beverage applications.

CS Group is a national beverage manufacturer of premium juice, juice mixers, lemonade and more. CS Group is the only beverage manufacturer that does business like we do, and we do it well with prestigious customers across the country.

If you would describe yourself as embodying our team's core values (Positivity, Hustle, Respect, Toughness + Honesty) and align with the responsibilities and requirements below, this may be the role for you!

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and formulate new flavor systems for food, beverage, or consumer products
• Develop and test new beverage formulations and recipes
• Conduct flavor profiling, sensory evaluations, and stability testing
• Research market trends, ingredients, and consumer preferences
• Scale formulations from laboratory samples to commercial production
• Ensure products meet food safety and regulatory standards
• Collaborate with manufacturing teams during pilot and production runs
• Maintain documentation, specifications, and ingredient records
• Optimize formulas for taste, shelf life, cost, and sustainability
• Design and optimize beverage formulations, including beverage concentrates and beverage syrups.
• Match existing flavors to customer specifications or competitive benchmarks
• Modify and improve flavor profiles for stability, cost efficiency, and performance
• Conduct sensory evaluations and adjust formulations based on taste, aroma, and application
• Collaborate with sales, production, and marketing teams to meet project goals
• Ensure compliance with regulatory standards and food safety requirements
• Maintain accurate records of formulations, testing results, and project progress
• Stay current with industry trends, raw materials, and flavor technologies

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Food Science, or a related field (advanced degree preferred)
• 3–10+ years of experience in flavor creation or compounding (level dependent)
• Proven expertise in beverage formulations, including technical knowledge of beverage concentrates and syrups.
• Strong knowledge of flavor raw materials and formulation techniques
• Excellent sensory skills (taste and smell acuity)
• Familiarity with regulatory requirements (e.g., FEMA, FDA, IFRA where applicable)
• Strong problem-solving and analytical abilities

Preferred Skills

• Experience in either sweet flavor development and beverage application science.
• Ability to work on multiple projects in a fast-paced environment
• Strong communication and collaboration skills
• Creativity balanced with technical precision
• Laboratory and pilot plant setting
• May involve handling food-grade chemicals and aroma compounds
• Occasional travel for client support or product trials
• Competitive salary based on experience
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Retirement plan options
• Opportunities for professional development and certification

Let’s get to the good stuff. Benefits of working for us!

• Competitive salary based on experience
• Opportunities for professional development and certification
• Awesome in-office work environment!
• Full medical, dental, vision, life and voluntary insurance package
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity, Adoption)
• 401K with company match
• 10 Paid Holidays
• Personal Time Off
• Vacation Time
• Discounted gym membership
• Wellness initiatives
• Free coffee + mixers

This role is a full-time, in-office position at CS Group HQ in Hazelwood, MO.

Please check out our website ( ) for more information about our awesome company culture, products, customers, and more!