R&D Meat Scientist

Indiana Packers Corporation • Delphi, IN

9d • Onsite

About The Position

Indiana Packers Corporation (IPC) is seeking a motivated, hands-on R&D Meat Scientist to lead applied research and product development across its value-added portfolio. This role involves translating technical and culinary concepts into scalable, commercially viable products, leading plant trials, and collaborating with Operations, Engineering, QA, Sales and Marketing, and Regulatory teams to ensure products meet quality, food-safety, and regulatory standards from concept to commercialization. This is an onsite position located near one of IPC's facilities (Delphi, IN; Holland, MI; or Owensboro, KY). Estimated travel will vary based on the assigned duty station relative to the plant sites.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Meat Science, Food Science, Animal Science, or related discipline.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of hands-on experience in meat / food product development.
• Strong understanding of meat functionality (protein bind, blending, water activity, cook loss, emulsions) and processing systems.
• Experience in USDA-regulated facilities.
• Working knowledge of USDA-FSIS regulations, HACCP, food-safety management systems, and USDA labeling requirements and standards of identity.
• Proven ability to translate scientific results into practical, commercial solutions, with strong documentation and communication skills.

Nice To Haves

• Master's or PhD preferred.
• Experience in pork processing preferred but not required.
• Cured, smoked, and further-processed product expertise.
• Sensory evaluation and shelf-life validation.
• Statistical analysis, design of experiments (DOE), and data-driven decision making.
• Clean-label / ingredient-reduction formulation.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute applied R&D projects focused on product quality, yield improvement, shelf-life extension, and process optimization.
• Develop and optimize formulations, processes, and product specifications to meet customer, quality, regulatory, and operational requirements.
• Lead plant trials and scale-up, troubleshooting processing issues such as bind, emulsion, purge, texture variability, yield, and cook loss.
• Own precise documentation of formulas, specifications, protocols, and process parameters, and prepare clear technical reports.
• Partner with Operations, Engineering, QA, Sales and Marketing, and Regulatory to translate business and customer needs into technical solutions.
• Monitor industry trends, emerging technologies, and competitive products to identify opportunities.

Benefits

• Competitive pay
• Three different medical care plans (two with company-funded health savings accounts)
• Pharmacy
• Dental
• Vision plans
• Retirement/401K (with 50% match on team members' contributions)
• Competitive paid time off program
• Educational assistance
• Numerous advancement opportunities

What This Job Offers

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