Research And Development Scientist

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Principal Scientist to join our Seasonings & Ingredients team within Ingredient Craft in partnership with Land O Lakes. This role will focus on creating and executing foundational research projects aimed at driving innovation and competitiveness of our team and business in spray-dried and blended dairy-based seasonings. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in cheese related research and spray-dried cheese product development, excellent project management skills, and a passion for continuous learning and innovation.

The candidate must also have a keen understanding of cheese taste profiles appropriate for China, SEA, India and the Middle East.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own the design and execution of foundational research projects to develop novel insights and enhance the technical capabilities of the Seasonings & Ingredients R&D team.

• Lead collaboration with cross-functional R&D and non-R&D teams, including Food Chemistry, Process Engineering, Manufacturing, Marketing, Sales, Quality, and Operations, to ensure alignment and integration of projects with business objectives.

• Mentor and train other team members, fostering a culture of continuous learning and development across diverse perspectives and skill sets.

• Stay current with industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices to drive innovation and maintain a competitive edge in the seasonings and ingredients industry.

• Communicate project progress, findings, and recommendations to senior leadership and stakeholders.

Qualifications:

• Advanced Degree in a relevant scientific discipline (e.g., Chemistry, Food Science, Chemical Engineering, Food Engineering) with a minimum of 10 years of experience in food ingredient research and/or spray-dried product development, or equivalent experience.

• Proven track record of leading successful R&D projects and driving technical innovation in the food industry.

• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple research projects simultaneously.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, ability to clearly communicate scientific concepts to non-scientific stakeholders, and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.

• Ability to effectively and professionally represent Ingredient Land O’Lakes R&D capabilities and recommendations directly to strategic customers’ R&D teams.

• Demonstrated ability to mentor and develop others.

Additional

Skills:

• A​​dvanced analytical techniques, experimental design, data analysis and interpretation for dry seasonings and ingredients.

• Experience with food formulation development, emulsions, ingredient functionality, process optimization, and scale-up challenges in spray drying.

• Critical and creative problem-solving skills, adaptability to changing priorities, and ability to work effectively under project time-line pressures.

• High level of integrity, professionalism, and business acumen focused on driving positive financial impacts through technology.
Ability to anticipate, drive, and align cross-functional teams around future technical needs, with technical depth in multiple areas.