Senior Research Scientist - Decatur, IL
About The Position
In this role, you will support the advancement of ADM’s wheat and cereal ingredient portfolio, focusing on the development and optimization of wheat-based flours, proteins, starches, and fiber ingredients. You will contribute to research and development efforts that enhance the functionality, nutrition, and sustainability of ADM’s grain-based solutions across bakery, cereal, and snack applications. Working closely with senior scientists and cross-functional teams, you will assist in developing and characterizing wheat and cereal ingredients that deliver consistent performance, processing efficiency, and sensory appeal in diverse food systems. Your work will strengthen ADM’s leadership in cereal and grain science by providing technical support, analytical insights, and formulation expertise to internal teams and external customers. You will engage with research partners and industry networks to stay informed of emerging trends in wheat processing, milling technology, and cereal chemistry. This position offers the opportunity to grow as a scientific resource within ADM, developing your technical skills and contributing to projects that shape the future of wheat and grain innovation.
Requirements
- PhD or Master’s degree in Food Science, Grain Science, Cereal Chemistry, Agricultural Engineering, or a related field.
- 3–5 years of experience in food ingredient research or product development, preferably involving wheat or cereal-based systems.
- Foundational understanding of wheat chemistry, including gluten functionality, starch behavior, and dough rheology.
- Hands-on familiarity with analytical techniques such as RVA, farinograph, mixograph, DSC, and texture analysis for evaluating ingredient performance.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple laboratory tasks and data sets.
- Effective written and verbal communication skills for both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools (Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams) and basic statistical analysis software.
- Willingness to learn and collaborate in a cross-functional, team-oriented environment.
- Ability to travel up to 10%.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with sensory or functional testing of baked or extruded products is a plus.
Responsibilities
- Support research and development (R&D) projects focused on wheat and other cereal grains, contributing to experimental design, data collection, and analysis under the guidance of senior scientists and commercial colleagues.
- Assist in the development and optimization of wheat-based ingredients—including flours, proteins, starches, and fibers—to achieve desired functionality, texture, and nutritional performance in bakery, cereal, and snack applications.
- Conduct laboratory and pilot-scale experiments to evaluate dough rheology, hydration properties, and processing behavior of cereal ingredients.
- Utilize analytical instrumentation such as Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA), farinograph, mixograph, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and texture analyzers to characterize ingredient performance.
- Participate in formulation and application testing to assess structure, volume, crumb texture, and sensory attributes in wheat-based systems.
- Collaborate with process development, analytical, and applications teams to support ingredient scale-up, process optimization, and technical troubleshooting.
- Contribute to shelf-life, stability, and functionality studies for wheat and cereal ingredients, ensuring accurate data documentation and reporting.
- Prepare technical reports, presentations, and data summaries for internal stakeholders and customer discussions.
- Stay informed on scientific literature, competitive technologies, and market trends related to wheat, cereal chemistry, and grain processing.
- Maintain safe laboratory practices and support compliance with all safety protocols in research and pilot facilities.
Benefits
- competitive pay
- medical/Rx
- dental
- vision
- on-site wellness center access or gym reimbursement
- flexible spending accounts
- health savings account
- 401(k) with matching contributions and cash balance plan
- discounted employee stock purchasing program
- life insurance
- disability
- workers’ compensation
- legal assistance
- identity theft protection
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
- Colleague Giving Programs (ADM Cares)
- Paid time off
- paid holidays
- Adoption assistance
- paid maternity and parental leave
- Tuition assistance
- Company-sponsored training and development resources, such as LinkedIn Learning, language training and mentoring programs.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
