Senior Food Scientist, Master Cheese Formulation

Ingredion • Bridgewater, NJ

8d • Hybrid

About The Position

About Ingredion: Join Ingredion, where innovation impacts lives worldwide! Without even realizing it, you’ve experienced our work in your favorite chocolate, your pet’s food, the paper you write on, and your everyday snacks. As a global powerhouse across more than 60 industries, we harness the potential of natural ingredients to transform lives. Whether you’re just starting your career or bringing years of experience, there's a place for you here to make a real difference. Be part of our team that values a wide range of perspectives and is committed to shaping a better world with every product we create. Location: Bridgewater, NJ Workplace type: On-Site/Hybrid (4 days/week on-site & 1 day/week remote) Ingredion is seeking a passionate and innovative Master Cheese Formulator to join our Global Dairy and Alternative Dairy Applications team. In this role, you will lead and execute innovation projects focused on cheese making, applying your expertise across the full product development lifecycle, from ideation to commercialization. This position requires a hands-on approach to food design, a strong foundation in food science, and technical curiosity in a collaborative, cross-functional environment. Join us to innovate and lead in the cheese category!

Requirements

• Degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Engineering or related field with 8- 10+ years of progressive experience.
• Proven knowledge of dairy proteins and cheese-making technologies, with experience in developing and commercializing products.
• Expertise in experimental design, process development, troubleshooting and technical data analysis.
• Strong ability to translate scientific research into commercially viable manufacturing applications.
• Strong project management and communication skills including technical reporting and impactful presentations.
• Ability to collaborate effectively and influence stakeholders
• Willingness to travel up to 20% for customer visits, facility trials and conferences.

Responsibilities

• Lead cheese product development initiatives, collaborating and partnering with cross-functional teams (Marketing, Region Technical Services, and customers) to identify and deliver differentiated product solutions.
• Translate voice of customer and key customer value propositions from regional teams into technical solutions, enabling breakthroughs.
• Formulate and optimize dairy and alternative dairy cheese in laboratory and pilot settings.
• Design and conduct experiments, analyze data, and apply advanced expertise to optimize protein, fat, and carbohydrate interactions for consumer liking and process efficiency.
• Identify and evaluate novel ingredients or enzymes to enhance cheese properties & yields.
• Serve as the cheese applications expert, providing innovative solutions and supporting commercialization.
• Evaluate new ingredients, formulation structures, and technologies to improve performance and functionality and consumer liking.
• Manage project timelines and deliverables, communicating progress, findings and recommendation to stakeholders.
• Coordinate sensory and consumer testing activities, manage sample production, and monitor product quality and organoleptic attributes throughout shelf life through analytical measurements (e.g. pH, viscosity, brix, solids, etc.) and routine tasting sessions.
• Collaborate with Sensory, Rheology and Texture teams for in-depth product evaluations.
• Support scale-up and industrialization with global/regional teams and customers.
• Maintain technical and experimental documentation and ensure compliance with nutrition, regulatory, and food labeling standards.
• Stay informed on industry trends and participate in relevant associations and conferences.
• Collaborate with dairy research centers and leverage insights from academia to ensure innovations translate into production.
• Deliver internal and external presentations, trainings and technical documentation.
• Collaborate Dairy/Alt. Dairy Application community to share knowledge, best practices, and technical insights.
• Drive intellectual property development and contribute to patents.

Benefits

• Total Rewards Package – Competitive salary and performance-based pay recognizing your contributions to our success
• Comprehensive Benefits & Wellness Support – Health, long-term savings, and resources for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being
• Career Growth – Learning, training, and development opportunities, including tuition reimbursement
• Employee Recognition Program – A culture of real-time appreciation, with personalized recognition rewards globally
• Employee Discount Program – Provides exclusive discounts on everyday products, services, and travel

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees