Lead Commercialization Scientist

Legacy Foods MFG LLC • Elk Grove Village, IL

3h

About The Position

Legacy Foods – Sauces, Dressings & Culinary Systems
Position Overview
Legacy Foods is seeking a highly motivated Commercialization & Food Scientist with
5+ years of experience in sauces, dressings, and liquid food systems. This role bridges
R&D, operations, procurement, QA, and sales to successfully scale products from
benchtop to commercial production.
The ideal candidate understands emulsion systems, thermal processing, shelf-stable
and refrigerated applications, and has hands-on plant experience bringing products to
market for retail and foodservice customers.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, or related field (Master’s preferred).
• Minimum 5 year’s experience in sauces, dressings, condiments, or liquid food systems.
• Strong understanding of: ? Emulsification systems (lecithin, egg yolk, modified starches, hydrocolloids) ? pH control and acidified foods ? Thermal processing (hot fill, retort, pasteurization) ? Water activity and shelf stability
• Experience with ERP systems and specification management.
• Plant-scale troubleshooting experience required.
• Strong project management and cross-functional communication skills.

Nice To Haves

• Experience commercializing for national chains (QSR or casual dining).
• Knowledge of clean label reformulation strategies.
• Experience with high-protein or functional sauce systems.
• Familiarity with co-manufacturing environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead commercialization of sauces, dressings, marinades, and culinary bases from pilot to full production.
• Translate R&D formulas into manufacturable, cost-effective production formulas.
• Optimize emulsions (oil-in-water, dairy, egg-based), viscosity systems, and flavor stability.
• Conduct plant trials, first productions, and validation runs.
• Troubleshoot processing issues (separation, viscosity drift, color shift, pH variance).
• Collaborate with operations on batching procedures, thermal processing (retort, hot fill)
• Validate kill steps and ensure compliance with FDA/USDA requirements.
• Develop and maintain production SOPs, batch sheets, and scale-up documentation.
• Improve yields, reduce waste, and support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure formulas meet FSMA, HACCP, and labeling regulations.
• Partner with QA on shelf-life studies (ambient and refrigerated).
• Review ingredient specifications and approve alternates with procurement.
• Maintain allergen control and documentation accuracy.
• Support sales with technical insights for customer presentations.
• Interface with national QSR, chain restaurant, and retail customers.
• Translate customer briefs into scalable, margin-aligned formulations.
• Manage timelines from concept approval to commercialization launch.

What This Job Offers

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