Overview In this role, you will lead the discovery, development, and scale-up of new ingredient technologies for lipid-rich food systems, advancing fat functionality and shelf-life. You will work across lab and business settings to translate insights into practical formulations for emulsions and dairy fat products, collaborating with cross-functional teams. The role focuses on oil-in-water emulsions and dairy fat systems, emphasizing interfacial behavior, stability, and cleaner-label considerations. You will guide strategy, mentorship, and external collaborations to push innovations from bench to commercial scale.
Compensation / Benefits- base salary and bonus eligibility
- healthcare coverage
- retirement plan (401k)
- employee wellbeing programs
- paid time off and holidays
- flexible work arrangements
Responsibilities- Lead lipid-driven ingredient technology initiatives by framing hypotheses and translating mechanistic understanding into formulations and processes for emulsions and dairy fat applications.
- Prioritize ingredient technology platforms across the North American portfolio using technology landscaping and literature reviews with a focus on fats/oils functionality, emulsion performance, and oxidative stability.
- Design and execute experimental plans (stability and accelerated shelf-life); analyze data, make recommendations, and assess technical risk by distinguishing physical vs. chemical instability.
- Apply ingredient science to evaluate interactions, stability, and performance in complex food systems, emphasizing fat-protein interfaces, salt/water effects, and pro-oxidant drivers.
- Leverage analytical, modeling, and digital tools to improve experimental efficiency and generate practical guidance.
- Mentor and develop reusable playbooks for experimental design, troubleshooting, and knowledge capture in emulsion stability and lipid oxidation risk.
- Lead external research collaborations (universities, suppliers, startups, industry partners) to validate technologies and guide internal direction.
- Lead cross-functional technical workstreams with stakeholders (marketing, operations, quality, regulatory) to advance lipid-driven innovations and shelf-life resilience.
- Propose technology strategies, learning plans, and decision points to anticipate portfolio needs and guide development.
- Define scalable pathways from bench to commercial scale, including prototyping and scale-up trials.
Key requirements- Bachelor's in Food Science, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Dairy Science, or related fields; Master's or PhD preferred
- Minimum experience: 6 years (BS), 5 years (MS), or 4 years (PhD)
- Strong background in ingredient science and development with depth in lipid-containing systems
- Experience leading bench and pilot-scale experiments; plant trials preferred
- Ability to characterize ingredients and interactions using analytical and modeling approaches for complex systems
- Knowledge of food industry trends, consumer preferences, and regulatory requirements, including cleaner-label programs
- Working knowledge of lipid chemistry and degradation pathways (e.g., oxidation) and impact on shelf life
- Excellent communication, collaboration, and stakeholder leadership; ability to lead technically ambiguous cross-functional initiatives
- Ability to translate signals into hypotheses, learning agendas, and decision-ready recommendations
- Experience designing shelf-life and accelerated shelf-life studies; familiarity with analytical, modeling, or AI-enabled tools for predictive understanding
- Experience establishing and leading collaborative research with universities, suppliers, startups, and industry partners
- communication
- collaboration
- stakeholder leadership
- lipid chemistry and oxidation pathways
- emulsion stability and interfacial science
- fat-protein interactions
