Food Scientist

JUST INGREDIENTS INC•Orem, UT

3d•Onsite

About The Position

At Just Ingredients – a health and wellness e-commerce company – we believe that nourishing your body with real ingredients is essential for living a healthy and fulfilling life. That’s why our products are made using carefully selected, whole-food ingredients. And our people are just as real as our ingredients – authentic, collaborative, and dedicated to fostering a workplace that inspires individuals and teams to reach their full potential. We’re looking for a hands-on, innovative Food Scientist who’s passionate about creating clean-label functional beverages and nutrition products that inspire wellness. You thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment, love the challenge of translating ideas into scalable, commercial-ready products, and bring both scientific rigor and creative problem-solving to everything you do. You’ll be leading the development of Ready-to-Drink (RTD) and Ready-to-Mix (RTM) products from concept through commercialization — turning bold ideas into delicious, performance-driven beverages.

Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Food Science, Food Chemistry, Nutrition, or a related discipline.
5–7 years of experience developing RTD beverages, powdered drink mixes, or functional nutrition products.
Strong understanding of ingredient functionality, especially in protein, carbohydrate, electrolyte, and botanical systems.
Experience working directly with co-packers, contract manufacturers, and regulatory bodies.
Proven knowledge of FDA labeling, acidified food processing, and cGMP compliance.
Proficiency with Genesis R&D, Flavor Studio, and Excel for formula and cost modeling.
Excellent project management, communication, and documentation skills.
A proactive, detail-oriented mindset with the ability to pivot quickly in a fast-moving, growth-oriented company.

Responsibilities

Lead the formulation of RTD beverages (12oz and 16oz) and RTM powdered drink mixes using clean-label, real-food ingredients — with no added sugars or natural/artificial flavors.
Design and optimize nutritionally balanced, stable, and cost-effective formulas that meet sensory and regulatory requirements.
Conduct benchtop formulation work, prototype creation, and iterative testing to refine taste, functionality, and stability.
Evaluate ingredient performance in acidic systems, protein matrices, and electrolyte blends.
Collaborate with co-manufacturers to scale up production, troubleshoot processing issues, and ensure product consistency from pilot to full-scale manufacturing.
Manage stability and shelf-life testing (microbiological, physical, and sensory) for new formulations.
Create and maintain formulation documentation, including spec sheets, batch sheets, and master formulas, in collaboration with Quality and Regulatory teams.
Build and maintain a comprehensive ingredient and formulation database to support future R&D innovation.
Partner with Product Development, Operations, Quality, Sales, and Marketing to align on product feasibility, timelines, and claims.
Support marketing and innovation teams with technical insights, competitive benchmarking, and ingredient trend analysis.
Research and evaluate new ingredients — including real fruit powders, juice concentrates, and functional actives — to expand our product portfolio.
Ensure all formulations and labels meet FDA, cGMP, and 21 CFR requirements for beverages and dietary supplements.
Work closely with Regulatory Affairs to ensure all ingredient statements and claims meet clean-label and compliance standards.
Collaborate with process authorities to validate formulations and thermal processing parameters for acidified beverage requirements.
Demonstrate strong command of pH, Brix, titratable acidity, and thermal processing validation.
Utilize Flavor Studio, Genesis R&D, and Excel for nutritional modeling, ingredient analysis, and cost optimization.