Senior Food Scientist

Tyson•Springdale, AR

About The Position

The Senior Food Scientist develops and commercializes new and improved products and processes under the guidance of a manager. The role spans product and process development, including writing product specifications and ensuring regulatory labeling and food safety requirements are met. It develops samples and prototypes, modifies and optimizes existing products, creates production and labeling specifications, and compiles cost analyses. The scientist applies scientific methods and knowledge of ingredients, product formulation, and food processing to develop innovative food products. The role also leads and executes cook validations to support commercialization, verifying food safety, optimizing cooking procedures, and achieving consistent restaurant quality across products, production lines, and fryer platforms. The position manages projects of moderate complexity from concept through commercialization, including bench-top development, pilot plant testing, scale-up at a federally inspected research facility, and final commercialization at a full-scale production facility. It works closely with marketing, insights, sales, culinary, FSQA, operations, purchasing, suppliers, process development, and product management. The position may supervise hourly technicians, travels to production facilities and customer meetings, and may take on special projects as needed. Applicants must reside in the United States; sponsorship is unavailable. Relocation assistance is eligible.

Requirements

For Senior Food Scientist II: A BS, MS, or PhD in Food Science, Meat Science, Food Engineering, or a related field, plus at least 8 years of relevant research and development experience; alternatively, no degree and at least 15 years of relevant experience.
For Senior Food Scientist I: A BS, MS, or PhD in Food Science, Meat Science, Food Engineering, or a related field; alternatively, a related degree with the stated level-specific experience: PhD and at least 2 years, MS and at least 3 years, or BS and at least 5 years of relevant experience. Applicants without a degree must have at least 10 years of relevant experience.
Good computer skills and ability to use MS Office products and Tyson systems or similar systems.
Good verbal and written communication skills, presentation skills, and ability to communicate effectively with cross-functional business partners.
Strong critical-thinking, analytical, problem-solving, project-management, and numerical skills.
Understanding of product formulation, food processing, the research and development process, regulatory labeling, and food safety requirements.
Willingness and ability to meet the physical requirements of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation.
Must reside in the United States; sponsorship is not available.
Travel of 25–50% is required.

Nice To Haves

Strong working knowledge of poultry new product development and optimization, including battered and breaded products.

Responsibilities

Develop and commercialize new and improved products and processes, including product specifications and compliance with regulatory labeling and food safety requirements.
Develop culinary samples and prototypes; modify and optimize existing products.
Plan and execute experiments, analyze data, report results, and manage multiple moderately complex projects from concept through commercialization with manager guidance.
Conduct bench-top development, pilot plant testing, scale-up production at a federally inspected research facility, and commercialization at a full-scale production facility.
Plan, conduct, document, and communicate cook validation studies across products, production lines, and fryer platforms.
Work with marketing, insights, sales, culinary, FSQA, operations, purchasing, and ingredient suppliers to coordinate development and smooth production start-ups.
Develop production and labeling specifications and compile cost analysis information; ensure project costing meets financial expectations.
Analyze data to create process-capable product specifications and present technical information to audiences with varying levels of technical understanding.
Support identification of innovation that may be treated as intellectual property and provide a competitive advantage.
Work with process development to develop process flow charts for engineering.
Contribute to cross-functional projects supporting organizational growth and EBIT strategies.
Travel to production facilities and customer meetings for testing, commercialization, troubleshooting, and other business needs.
Complete special projects as needed and develop a personal development plan with the manager.
May supervise hourly technicians supporting a team of scientists.