Application Scientist

MGP Ingredients•Atchison, KS

About The Position

The Application Scientist is responsible for the development, optimization, and commercialization of food and beverage applications utilizing the company’s ingredient portfolio. This role supports customer innovation, internal product development, and commercialization across cereals and snacks, coating systems, bakery products, and beverage applications. The position requires strong technical knowledge, project management capability, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver scalable, market-ready solutions aligned with business objectives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, or related discipline required.
Minimum 3–8 years of experience in food applications, R&D, or product development.
Strong understanding of ingredient functionality (proteins, starches, fibers, hydrocolloids).
Demonstrated formulation capability across snacks, bakery, coatings, and beverages.
Knowledge of nutrition targets, labeling considerations, and regulatory fundamentals.
Ability to manage multiple technical projects with strong problem-solving skills.
Effective written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
Proficiency with standard laboratory, pilot-plant, and documentation systems.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.
Experience in extrusion, bakery systems, coating technologies, or beverage formulation preferred.
Experience supporting commercialization and plant-scale production strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop prototype formulations and finished applications using plant proteins, starches, fibers, and specialty ingredients.
Design and optimize nutritional base systems for bars, snacks, cereals, and functional foods.
Develop and improve coating systems to enhance adhesion, texture, oil reduction, and sensory performance.
Formulate bakery applications including breads, cookies, crackers, and sweet baked goods with improved nutrition and functionality.
Create beverage applications such as protein beverages, powdered drink mixes, and functional drinks.
Conduct bench-top, pilot-plant, and commercial-scale trials to ensure manufacturability and consistency.
Perform sensory, stability, and shelf-life evaluations; document results in technical reports.
Partner with Sales and Marketing to translate customer briefs into scalable product concepts.
Provide technical support, troubleshooting, and formulation guidance to customers.
Support plant trials, commercialization activities, and technical documentation.
Participate in customer meetings, demonstrations, and innovation sessions.
Collaborate with Quality, Regulatory, Operations, and Procurement to ensure compliance and successful scale-up.
Maintain accurate documentation, formulations, and project records in accordance with company procedures.
Support continuous improvement and innovation pipeline initiatives.
Remain current on industry trends, including plant-based nutrition, high-protein, keto, and reduced-carbohydrate formulations.