Senior Flavorist

IFF•South Brunswick, NJ

5d•$153,349 - $219,070•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Flavorist joins the Creative & Design team in South Brunswick, New Jersey, to create consumer-preferred flavors for the food and beverage industry. The role combines scientific expertise and creative innovation to create, develop, and optimize flavor profiles across beverage, sweet goods, and dairy applications. The position involves designing and formulating flavors in forms such as compounded liquids, spray-dried powders, plated flavors, reaction flavors, emulsions, and extracts, using Generally Recognized as Safe and U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved materials. The Senior Flavorist leads customer-focused development projects from concept through launch, applying analytical data, sensory science, and technical expertise while meeting regulatory requirements, specifications, quality standards, and timelines. The role works closely with Applications, Research & Development, Marketing, Sales, Operations, account managers, and global innovation teams to support project execution, commercialization, scale-up, and customer needs. It also includes mentoring and training junior colleagues. The stated base compensation range is $153,349 to $219,070, depending on factors including experience, skills, certifications, and location.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline.
10 or more years of progressive, hands-on flavor creation and development experience, with expertise across sweet, dairy, and beverage categories.
Fully certified flavor chemist credentials, such as Society of Flavor Chemists certification, or an equivalent recognized qualification.
Strong scientific knowledge of food science, chemistry, aroma molecules, natural extracts, and flavor manufacturing processes.
Ability to identify, characterize, formulate, and match flavor materials using analytical and sensory evaluation techniques.
Working knowledge of U.S. and international flavor regulations and experience formulating with approved flavor materials.
Ability to manage multiple customer and internal development projects while maintaining quality, accuracy, and agreed-upon timelines.
Strong communication and collaboration skills, including the ability to explain technical information clearly to colleagues and external customers.
Foundational leadership capabilities and experience mentoring, guiding, or developing junior flavor professionals.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree, such as a master’s degree or doctorate, in Food Science, Chemistry, or a related field.
Experience developing clean-label and natural flavors while navigating related technical and regulatory requirements.
A strong record of combining consumer insights, sensory science, and emerging technologies to deliver differentiated flavor solutions.

Responsibilities

Design and formulate innovative flavors for food and beverage applications, including compounded liquids, spray-dried powders, plated flavors, reaction flavors, emulsions, and extracts, using approved materials.
Create, develop, and optimize consumer-preferred flavor profiles across beverage, sweet goods, and dairy applications.
Lead creative development projects from concept through launch while maintaining customer relationships and meeting timelines, specifications, and quality standards.
Apply analytical data, sensory science, and technical expertise to develop, characterize, and match flavor materials.
Develop flavors that meet U.S. and international regulations, including requirements for alcoholic beverages.
Collaborate with Applications, Research & Development, Marketing, Sales, and Operations to support project execution, commercialization, and scale-up.
Partner with account managers to understand customer needs, provide technical support, and develop solutions to flavor challenges.
Mentor and train junior colleagues by sharing technical knowledge, creative approaches, and industry expertise.
Collaborate with global innovation teams to leverage new technologies, support strategic priorities, and identify flavor development opportunities.