Senior Food Scientist (61026)

Tofurky•Hood River, OR

2d•$93,000 - $100,000•Onsite

About The Position

Tofurky, a leading manufacturer of plant-based proteins and dairy-free cheeses, is seeking a Senior Food Scientist to join their Research & Development team. This full-time, onsite role in Hood River, Oregon, is a hands-on technical leadership position focused on developing, improving, and commercializing plant-based products. The Senior Food Scientist will manage projects from concept to scale-up, lead plant trials, drive cost-saving and quality initiatives, and act as a senior technical resource. The ideal candidate is experienced, autonomous, organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable in a fast-paced, small-team environment.

Requirements

Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry, Biology, Engineering, or a related discipline.
Bachelor's degree and 7-8+ years of food product development experience; OR Master's degree and 5+ years of food product development experience; OR Ph.D. in a related field and 2-3+ years of industry product development experience.
Proven track record of developing and commercializing successful food product formulations in a manufacturing or CPG environment.
Demonstrated experience executing development from bench to production scale for new products, product improvements, and cost-savings projects.
Experience designing and conducting plant trials and new product start-ups.
Strong ability to find ingredient alternatives, optimize formulas, and enhance ingredient functionality for cost savings.
Knowledge of food processing technology, ingredient functionality, formulation techniques, sensory analysis, food cost and scaling, and food storage and packaging.
Working knowledge of food safety (GMP, HACCP) and regulatory/labeling requirements.
Excellent project management skills with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple projects independently in a fast-paced environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience with nutritional labeling software (Genesis preferred).
Experience with plant-based or alternative protein/dairy products is highly desired.
Recent Ph.D. graduates without industry experience are not a good fit.

Responsibilities

Develop product formulations, processing procedures, and product specifications for new products, line extensions, product improvements, and cost-savings projects.
Execute development from bench to production scale, finding ingredient alternatives, optimizing formulas, and improving ingredient functionality to reduce cost while protecting quality.
Design and execute product quality and stability experiments; analyze and interpret data to make sound technical recommendations on product and process.
Document processes, formulas, ingredients, and results related to production tests, samples, and product evaluations.
Evaluate prototypes provided by 3rd party partners and assist in quality, product improvement, and productivity initiatives for co-manufactured (CO-MAN) products.
Work with outside suppliers and vendors to source and evaluate ingredients.
Design and lead in-house and plant trials, create analytical reports, organize sensory tastings, and draw conclusions and recommendations for next steps.
Translate bench formulas to pilot and production scale, including working with co-manufacturing partners.
Understand production equipment constraints to ensure formulations are manufacturable.
Partner with operations to provide technical support that drives quality and value improvement in processes.
Collaborate with production, maintenance, and QA to improve current products by creating and implementing new quality parameters.
Partner with operations to implement cost-optimization approaches focused on waste reduction.
Design and run shelf-life studies, including product performance under various conditions.
Conduct quality evaluations and contribute to quality disposition decisions on existing products.
Support sensory programs: prepare samples for internal and external tasting and analyze results to inform formulation decisions.
Create nutritional specs, ingredient specs, and allergen statements for in-house Tofurky products across the USA, Canada, UK, and Australia using Genesis software.
Review nutritional claims, identify gaps and non-compliance, and recommend action plans to ensure compliance; support non-GMO Project verification.
Establish and maintain systems and processes for storing, reviewing, and sharing labeling information.
Support food safety initiatives through knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and HACCP principles, and help maintain regulatory compliance for domestic and international markets.
Maintain internal R&D documentation: systematically record experiments, formulations, trial outcomes, sensory evaluations, and observations.
Independently manage time and projects for assigned tasks; develop weekly work-plans to manage projects and ensure deadlines are met.
Lead and prioritize multiple projects in parallel, adjusting based on Tofurky's dynamic needs.
Manage external consultants engaged on R&D projects.
Lead training and onboarding of new R&D team members and QA techs on current product formulations and processes.
Communicate project status, results, and recommendations clearly to stakeholders.
Translate technical results and constraints to marketing partners; support New Product Development timelines and participate in feasibility discussions.
Partner on ingredient sourcing, supplier qualification, and continuity planning; help qualify secondary suppliers and develop test plans for new ingredients; communicate R&D ingredient needs early.
Ensure R&D cost-savings projects are tracked and reported correctly.
Prepare product prototypes and samples for sales events, trade shows, and internal reviews.