Senior Food Scientist

IFF • Corona, CA

23d • $111,904 - $139,880 • Onsite

About The Position

Are you passionate about uncovering the science behind taste and aroma to create exceptional product experiences? IFF is a global leader in flavors, fragrances, food ingredients, and health and biosciences. We deliver sustainable innovations that elevate everyday products. Taste: Crafting unique, technology-enabled flavor designs that define the identity of food and beverage brands, shape trends in flavor building and fuel market success. The position is based in our Corona, CA location. Be part of a collaborative, innovative, and technically skilled team where together we can achieve greatness and make a meaningful impact. Your potential is our inspiration. As a Senior Food Technologist at Tastepoint, you will play a key role in creating innovative food and beverage applications that showcase our flavors and ingredients.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Culinology, Chemistry, Biology, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of experience in the food, ingredient, or flavor industry, including a minimum of 5 years in product development within relevant application areas.
• Strong understanding of ingredient functionality and formulation principles across multiple product categories.
• Proven ability to manage complex projects and work cross‑functionally with sales, business development, marketing, and technical teams.
• Advanced organoleptic evaluation skills for both flavors and finished food products.
• Ability to provide clear written and verbal communication to internal teams and customers.
• Proficiency in weighing ingredients, creating formulations, and recording technical data.
• Strong math skills and computer proficiency, including Excel and Outlook.
• Ability to work in customer manufacturing facilities as needed to support scale‑ups and commercialization.
• Capability to engage in ongoing learning to expand skills and technical knowledge.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with pilot plant equipment, especially MIWE ovens or Rondo dough sheeters.
• Demonstrated ability to provide technical leadership on complex or unusual challenges.
• Strong presentation and storytelling abilities when showcasing prototypes and technical insights.

Responsibilities

• Lead multiple product development projects simultaneously, managing timelines, priorities, and deliverables.
• Create finished food and beverage applications—including beverages, bars, bakery, cereal, confections, dairy, and culinary—to evaluate flavors and ingredients.
• Collaborate directly with Flavorists to evaluate and select flavors aligned to project briefs.
• Conduct internal and customer presentations to demonstrate technical capabilities, prototypes, and insights.
• Utilize organoleptic expertise to prepare, lead, and participate in daily flavor and finished‑product tastings.
• Apply strong knowledge of ingredient functionality to solve technical challenges and guide project direction.
• Document formulations, procedures, and sensory data accurately within company systems.
• Design, lead, and execute experiments applying solid DOE (Design of Experiments) principles.
• Maintain laboratory equipment, support pilot plant activities, and ensure adherence to safety protocols and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).

Benefits

• An energetic, agile, and innovative environment where creativity fuels product development.
• Opportunities to influence exciting food and beverage innovations for major brands.
• A highly collaborative culture that values curiosity, learning, and cross‑functional partnership.
• Domestic travel opportunities of up to 40% to support customer collaboration and project execution.
• We are a global leader in taste, scent, and nutrition, offering our customers a broader range of natural solutions and accelerating our growth strategy.
• At IFF, we believe that your uniqueness unleashes our potential. We value the diverse mosaic of the ethnicity, national origin, race, age, sex, or veteran status. We strive for an inclusive workplace that allows each of our colleagues to bring their authentic self to work regardless of their religion, gender identity & expression, sexual orientation, or disability.
• Visit IFF.com/careers/workplace-diversity-and-inclusion to learn more

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior