Senior Food Scientist

Tyson Foods, Inc.•Springdale, AR

About The Position

The Senior Food Scientist develops and commercializes new and improved food products and processes with guidance from a manager. The role covers product and process development from concept through commercialization, including product specifications, regulatory labeling, food safety requirements, prototype development, product optimization, and cost analysis. The scientist applies knowledge of scientific methods, ingredients, formulation, and food processing to support the development of innovative products. The role also leads cook-validation studies across products, production lines, and fryer platforms to verify food safety, optimize cooking procedures, and support consistent restaurant quality. The position works across functions and with ingredient suppliers, supports product start-up and scale-up, and may supervise hourly technicians. The successful candidate must reside in the United States and be able to perform the physical requirements of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. Travel is expected at 25–50% for customer needs, production-facility testing and commercialization, troubleshooting, and other business needs. Relocation assistance is eligible; sponsorship is unavailable.

Requirements

For Senior Food Scientist II: a BS, MS, or PhD in Food Science, Meat Science, Food Engineering, or a related field; alternatively, at least 8 years of relevant R&D experience with a related degree, or at least 15 years of relevant experience without a degree.
For Senior Food Scientist I: a BS, MS, or PhD in Food Science, Meat Science, Food Engineering, or a related field; alternatively, at least 2 years of relevant experience with a PhD, 3 years with an MS, 5 years with a BS, or 10 years of relevant experience without a degree.
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, and project-management skills.
Strong numerical skills and understanding of product formulation, food processing, and the R&D process.
Understanding of regulatory labeling and food safety requirements.
Must reside in the United States.
Must be willing and able to perform the physical requirements of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation.
Applicants must upload a resume to their Workday application or ensure their Workday Career Profile is up to date and complete.
Sponsorship is not available.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Develop and commercialize new and improved products and processes, working from concept through commercialization with guidance from a manager.
Plan, conduct, document, and communicate cook-validation studies across products, production lines, and fryer platforms.
Develop culinary samples and prototypes; modify and optimize existing products.
Write and develop product specifications, production labeling, and process-capable specifications while ensuring regulatory labeling and food safety requirements are met.
Plan and execute bench-top development, pilot-plant testing, scale-up at a federally inspected research facility, and commercialization at full-scale production facilities.
Independently manage multiple moderately complex development and optimization projects, including planning experiments, analyzing data, and reporting results.
Work with marketing, insights, sales, culinary, FSQA, operations, purchasing, ingredient suppliers, and process development to support product development and smooth production start-up.
Develop process flow charts for engineering in collaboration with process development.
Identify innovations that can be treated as intellectual property and provide Tyson a competitive advantage.
Present technical data and concepts in a way that is understandable to nontechnical audiences.
Compile cost-analysis information, provide it to product management, and ensure project costing meets financial expectations.
Contribute to cross-functional projects that support 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.
Develop a personal development plan with the manager and demonstrate initiative to grow within the organization.
May supervise hourly technicians supporting a team of scientists.