Senior R&D Beverage Developer

Molson Coors • Milwaukee, WI

11d • $111,900 - $146,900 • Hybrid

About The Position

In the role of Senior R&D Beverage Developer based in Milwaukee, WI, you will lead front-end beverage innovation and formulation development for current and emerging brand opportunities across North America. Drawing on deep expertise in flavors, beverage ingredients, and product development, you will partner with Commercial Marketing, Quality, Procurement, and production sites to design, optimize, evaluate, scale up, qualify, and launch new formulations. You will also provide technical leadership for partnership brands, supplier relationships, and due diligence activities, ensuring solutions are commercially viable, manufacturable, and aligned with contractual requirements. As a trusted technical advisor, you will anticipate and address ingredient, formulation, and regulatory challenges while helping build capabilities that strengthen the future innovation pipeline.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience leading alcoholic and/or non-alcoholic beverage or food product development from concept through commercialization.
• Hands-on expertise in beverage formulation, ingredient systems, flavors, bench-top prototyping, sensory evaluation, stability testing, scale-up activities, manufacturing qualification, and troubleshooting.
• Build trust and influence across Marketing, Quality, Procurement, Supply Chain, production sites, suppliers, and external partners to advance complex innovation projects.
• Strong beverage formulation expertise, including flavors, sweeteners, acids, colors, preservatives, and functional ingredients.
• Solid understanding of alcoholic beverage development and brewing/distillation fundamentals.
• Experienced in sensory evaluation, shelf-life studies, stability testing, and analytical testing methodologies.
• Knowledge of commercialization, plant trials, manufacturing qualification, and process troubleshooting.
• Understand FDA, TTB, labeling, food safety, and regulatory requirements relevant to beverage development.
• Skilled in experimental design, statistical analysis, specification development, and technical documentation.
• Experience with supplier qualification, ingredient risk assessment, and cost optimization initiatives.
• Communicate complex technical and regulatory concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, exercise sound judgment, and constructively challenge assumptions when appropriate.

Nice To Haves

• A Master's degree in Food Science, Brewing/Fermentation Science, Chemistry, or a related technical discipline is preferred.
• Professional certifications such as HACCP, PCQI, Six Sigma, IBD Diploma (Brewing and/or Distilling), or Sensory/Flavor Chemistry Certification are considered assets.

Responsibilities

• Lead beverage innovation and product development from concept through commercial launch.
• Translate consumer and brand objectives into technical product requirements while formulating and optimizing alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages using flavors, sweeteners, acids, colors, functional ingredients, and processing parameters.
• Own the technical development and commercialization of new and renovated formulations, including bench-top prototyping, experimental design, sensory and analytical evaluation, stability and shelf-life testing, pilot and plant trials, scale-up activities, qualification, and post-launch troubleshooting.
• Analyze technical results, document conclusions, and recommend formulation or process improvements that achieve sensory, quality, cost, regulatory, and manufacturability objectives.
• Provide technical leadership for partnership brands, suppliers, and external development resources, including due diligence, ingredient qualification, supplier assessment, and resolution of technical challenges.
• Serve as a technical advisor to leadership and cross-functional stakeholders on ingredient, formulation, processing, and regulatory matters while supporting compliance with applicable food safety, labeling, and alcoholic beverage requirements.

Benefits

• Flexible work programs that support work life balance including a hybrid work model of 4 days in the office
• Participation in our Total Rewards program with a competitive base salary, incentive plans, parental leave, health, dental, vision, retirement plan options with incredible employer match, generous paid time off plans, an engaging Wellness Program, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with amazing resources
• On site Pub, access to cool brand clothing and swag, top events and, of course... free beer and beverages!
• We care about our People and Planet and have challenged ourselves with stretch goals around our key priorities
• We care about our communities, and play our part to make a difference – from charitable donations to hitting the streets together to build parks, giving back to the community is part of our culture and who we are
• Engagement with a variety of Business Resource Groups, which can provide volunteer opportunities, leadership experience, and networking through the organization
• Ability to grow and develop your career centered around our First Choice Learning opportunities
• Work within a fast paced and innovative company, meeting passionate colleagues and partners with diverse backgrounds and experiences

What This Job Offers

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