Pizza Food Scientist

Palermo's • West Milwaukee, WI

2d • Onsite

About The Position

As a Pizza Food Scientist at Palermo's, you will play a key role in developing high-quality pizza crusts and finished products that delight consumers and support business growth. This role involves hands-on product development, commercialization, and continuous improvement initiatives, contributing to the future of frozen pizza. Palermo's is a company with a deep passion for food and family, originating from cherished recipes brought from Sicily. Innovation is central to their identity, driving a forward-thinking approach that results in high-quality products recognized by both the industry and consumers, making Palermo's a leader in private label frozen pizza and contract manufacturing.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Bakery Science, Food Engineering, Nutrition, Chemistry, Biology, or related field
• 3–5 years of food product development experience within food manufacturing, bakery, or related industries
• Strong understanding of dough systems, bakery science, and ingredient functionality
• Hands-on experience with food preparation, ingredient weighing, mixing, and prototype development
• Experience supporting pilot plant and manufacturing scale-up activities
• Knowledge of food safety, GMPs, sanitation, and quality systems
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative manufacturing environment

Nice To Haves

• Passionate about innovation and turning ideas into commercialized products
• Enjoys balancing technical problem-solving with hands-on product development
• Communicates effectively across technical and non-technical teams
• Highly organized and detail-oriented while managing multiple projects
• Thrives in collaborative environments and enjoys working cross-functionally
• Brings curiosity, initiative, and a continuous improvement mindset to everything you do

Responsibilities

• Lead and support new product development initiatives from concept through commercialization
• Develop and optimize pizza crusts, bakery items, and pizza toppings
• Conduct bench-top, pilot plant, and manufacturing trials
• Formulate products to meet quality, sensory, nutritional, and cost targets
• Evaluate ingredients, raw materials, and supplier opportunities
• Conduct sensory evaluations, testing, and technical assessments
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Operations, Quality, Engineering, Procurement, Sales, and Marketing
• Support continuous improvement and cost savings initiatives through formulation and process optimization
• Maintain technical documentation, formulations, and specifications
• Help troubleshoot technical and manufacturing challenges while supporting plant operations

Benefits

• 20 free pizzas per month
• Competitive salary with bonus potential
• Paid Time Off and Floating Holiday of your choice
• 401(k) & Roth with company match and fully vested on the 1st of the month after hire
• Comprehensive benefits package starting the 1st of the month after hire
• Opportunities for professional growth and career advancement
• Work alongside a collaborative and innovative R&D team

What This Job Offers

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