Food Scientist

House-Autry Mills • Four Oaks, NC

3d • Onsite

About The Position

House-Autry is seeking a Food Chemist/Food Scientist responsible for the research, development, formulation, and improvement of food products. This role ensures quality, safety, regulatory compliance, and scalability by applying principles of chemistry, biology, and food science to create innovative, safe, and high-quality products that meet business goals, regulatory requirements, and consumer expectations. This is an onsite position.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in food science, Food Chemistry, Chemistry, Biochemistry, or a related scientific field required.
• 2–5+ years of experience in food product development, food chemistry, or food manufacturing (entry-level candidates considered with strong internships or co-op experience).
• Working knowledge of food chemistry, ingredient functionality, and food processing.
• Familiarity with FDA regulations, food labeling, and basic food safety principles.
• Strong problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Education may be substituted by experience.
• Experience with sensory evaluation, shelf-life testing, and statistical analysis.
• Hands-on experience with specific product categories (e.g., beverages, baked goods, dairy, snacks, sauces) is a plus.
• Knowledge and understanding of quality standards and or culinary techniques and training.
• Assessment techniques of examining, questioning, evaluating and reporting food performance and flavor issues.
• Additional skills required for project management, such as planning, organizing, communicating, directing and problem solving.
• Must be able to work evenings and weekends when, and if, workload dictates the need.
• Some travel may be required to assist with customer concerns, meet suppliers, participate in research studies (focus groups, sensory panels) or attend trade shows.

Nice To Haves

• Hands-on experience with specific product categories (e.g., beverages, baked goods, dairy, snacks, sauces) is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop project proposals meeting Quality and Production policies and programs.
• Ensure conformity of raw materials and finished goods to established quality and specification standards.
• Ensure proper testing procedures are in place and are being properly utilized.
• Ensure compliance with production specifications for all developed products.
• Develop new products for retail, food service, and industrial applications.
• Identify the proper ingredients and proportion thereof for new formulas based on knowledge of the properties, interactions and reactions of various ingredients.
• Distinguish the processing procedures and times to result in proper texture and usage of new products.
• Develop new formulas to match taste and performance while minimizing cost.
• Provide product samples to sales team and end customers.
• Manage feedback and process requested changes.
• Work with customers to identify procedures used for preparing food products during new product development and aid customer food preparation processes.
• Maintain current and create new product information data sheets.
• Use FDA and other rules and regulations regarding food products to maintain compliance on product nutritional information and labeling guidelines.
• Manage production formulas and control access to formulas for updates and adjustments.
• Provide product information to production, QA and warehouse to ensure products meet quality requirements.
• Provide financial department formulation for costing.
• Test competitor finished products and new ingredients.
• Perform physical and chemical analyses of competitor products.
• Perform tolerance testing to determine weakness and strengths of HA products compared to competitors.
• Perform physical and chemical analyses on new ingredients for new supplier approval and cost management opportunities.
• Assist in resolution of internal non-conforming products and customer product complaints.
• Assist Sales Team with sample submissions for new customer accounts and grow existing accounts.
• Other duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level