Sr Scientist, Taste Modulation

About Imbibe

Imbibe is a dynamic, high-growth food and beverage development company based in Niles, Illinois. We specialize in developing, creating, and manufacturing beverage flavors, ingredient systems, and finished food and beverage products. Our mission is to design ingredients with impact for the food and beverage industry. Since our founding in 1963, Imbibe has been at the forefront of flavor innovation and product development.

We offer a comprehensive range of services, including full product development, taste modulation, and finished product solutions. Our state-of-the-art campus features an Innovation Center and Pilot Plant that enable us to tackle industry-wide taste and texture challenges, ensuring that our clients receive the highest quality products. At Imbibe, we pride ourselves on our entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to continuous improvement.

Our values of collaboration, accountability, and entrepreneurship drive us to deliver exceptional results for our clients. We also believe in giving back to the community. Through various initiatives we support efforts to combat food insecurity in the Chicagoland area by donating ingredients and our time. If you're passionate about the food and beverage industry and eager to make a meaningful impact, Imbibe is the place for you.

Let's create something extraordinary together!

The Senior Scientist of Taste Modulation leads and helps support the team’s efforts to accomplish several different development tasks associated with new ingredient research, development, and base modulation in sugar reduction, masking, and mouthfeel space. They collaborate with other Taste Modulation team members, Flavorists, and Product Developers, and work well in a team environment, contribute ideas and hands‑on assistance, lead teams and projects, and display an equal interest in product development and research.

• Subject matter expert in the sweetening and/or masking space, supporting complex development formulation with taste challenges.
• Assist in scoping customer project briefs as a subject matter expert, ensuring the technical feasibility.
• Scope for innovation opportunities and ensure the technical feasibility of the projects.
• Works with key team members in the innovation programs and ensures the technical feasibility of the projects.
• Directs a multi‑project development portfolio and makes strong technical and strategic contributions to research and development project teams.
• Lead customer and research projects as technical lead, ensuring successful completion.
• Coordinate and manage resources to meet project timelines and other success criteria.
• Build new ingredients, technologies, and full product development formulas that will provide innovative solutions to customers and internal developers.
• Formulate complex natural sweetener systems, masking systems, and mouthfeel systems for custom projects.
• Execute proactive innovation and optimization development projects.
• Lead internal initiatives that showcase Taste Modulation innovations.
• Interacts with external customers as technical lead or as part of a core development team.
• Must work independently and balance a multi‑task workload.
• Work with other internal team members including pricing, engineering, procurement, quality, operations, and marketing for successful project completion.
• Participate in team growth initiatives, providing technical input and soft skill coaching to team members.
• Lead team‑focused process development initiatives.
• This role may include supervision of other teammates or management of entry to mid‑level roles (typically 1‑3 direct reports).

• Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science, chemistry, biochemistry, engineering, or relevant field is required.
• 7‑10 years+ in the food, beverage, ingredient, and/or flavor industry with a background in product development or applications required.
• 7 years+ experience in leading new product development projects as the key technical member on a cross‑functional team.
• Experience in sugar reduction, natural high‑intensity sweeteners, FMPs, masking, ingredient modulation, and/or flavor science.
• Successful track record…