Senior Application Scientist - Meat & Prepared Food

Novonesis•West Allis, WI

29d•Onsite

About The Position

Novonesis is seeking a committed and skilled Senior Application Scientist with a strong passion for food, fermentation, and microbiology to join their Applied R&D Meat & Prepared Food (M&PF) department. This role operates at the intersection of customers, sales, production, and global R&D, focusing on translating scientific knowledge into practical, value-creating solutions. The Senior Application Scientist will collaborate with local sales teams, production & process management, and Applied R&D colleagues primarily in Europe, to deliver Novonesis solutions and provide dedicated field technical service. This is a highly applied, customer-facing scientific position emphasizing innovation and technical partnership, crucial for supporting growth in the meat and prepared food segment by providing robust, science-based solutions.

Requirements

MSc or PhD in Food Microbiology (preferred), Food Science, or a closely related scientific discipline.
More than 10 years of experience within the meat and/or food industry, from production, applied R&D, or technical services.
Strong hands-on experimental experience, including plant or factory trials, challenge tests, fermentation work and microbiological analyses.
Proven ability to translate scientific results into practical, industrial solutions, with a very strong applied and customer-centric mindset.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
Ability to engage confidently with multiple stakeholders, including customers, academics, food authorities and internal teams across cultures.
A curious, self-driven mindset and strong collaboration skills.

Nice To Haves

German language skills are a strong advantage.
Bioinformatics skills.
Experience working in international or cross-regional R&D environments.
Prior exposure to regulatory or food authority interactions related to meat or fermented food products.

Responsibilities

Leading and supporting application and innovation projects from experimental design through trials, data interpretation and stakeholder communication.
Driving a strong new product development (NPD) pipeline by developing innovative, customer-driven application concepts.
Acting as a trusted technical partner for customers, translating needs into value-adding solutions and business opportunities.
Supporting local sales teams during plant and field trials as well as strategic customer engagements.
Contributing to knowledge sharing and capability building through customer innovation days, trainings and internal knowledge exchange.
Performing analyses and contribute to continuous improvement of laboratory setups and processes.