Principal Scientist, R&D and Technical Services

Saputo Inc. • Newman, CA

87d

About The Position

At Saputo, we bring good to the table by making high-quality products, investing in our people, and supporting communities around the world. As a top 10 global dairy processor, we value contributions that matter and strive to foster an inclusive, growth-driven work environment. Ready to bring your best? The Principal Scientist, R&D and Technical Services will provide strategic technical leadership for the cheese portfolio at Saputo USA. The person will be responsible for identification of new technologies to enhance Saputo’s cheese operations, drive yield and quality improvements through innovative approaches, and identify and develop products for the cheese category new to Saputo. Further this position serves a technical voice to key stakeholders both internally and externally. The position is to be based in Tulare or Newman, CA.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5 - 10 years of R&D and technical service experience in the dairy/cheese industry.
• Experience with the development of pasta filata cheeses (string, mozzarella, provolone).
• Hands-on knowledge of cheese manufacturing and industry application-focused projects.
• Master’s degree in Dairy Science, Food Science, Dairy Manufacturing, Chemistry, or related field; PhD preferred.
• Ability to develop and interpret technical information and lead projects efficiently.
• Strong leadership skills with a proven ability to develop and lead teams.
• Blend of strong technical and financial acumen to identify project feasibility and ROI.
• Strong understanding of commercial dynamics that drive business profitability.
• Ability to collaborate and persuade across multiple functional areas.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficient in MS Office.
• Willingness to travel 50%+ of the time.

Nice To Haves

• Experience outside the US market.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical innovations and best practices within the cheese category.
• Drive process optimizations, equipment technologies, or product performance improvements.
• Act as technical leader for commercial and Intellectual Property legal matters.
• Monitor industry IP and provide recommendations based on public domain information.
• Create processes to develop and protect internal trade secrets and assist with patent filings.
• Maintain relationships with key ingredient suppliers to stay updated on technologies.
• Build relationships to co-develop technologies for competitive advantages.
• Maintain relationships with cheese and dairy universities for research and technical opportunities.
• Provide technical assistance on quality issues and support engineering team with capital project feasibility.
• Ensure consistent internal and external representation for Saputo.
• Attend industry events to build a network of technical resources.

Benefits

• Development opportunities that enhance career fulfillment.
• Meaningful compensation & benefits that help care for family.
• Opportunities to contribute to community and enhance lives through Saputo products.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Master's degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees