Senior Scientist, Ingredient Quality & Analytical Science

Coca-Cola•Atlanta, GA

22h•Onsite

About The Position

The Ingredient Quality Department protects ingredient quality and integrity across the beverage portfolio. The Senior Scientist, Ingredient Quality & Analytical Science is a hands-on subject matter expert and individual contributor who applies advanced analytical chemistry expertise and judgment to resolve complex ingredient-quality challenges. The role uses GC- and LC-HRMS, method development and validation, chemical profiling, unknown identification, contaminant analysis, authenticity testing, raw material characterization, and data analytics to support product quality and business decisions. The scientist defines analytical strategies, leads investigations and cross-functional projects, interprets complex data, strengthens laboratory capability, and turns evidence into actionable recommendations. The role requires scientific rigor, concise communication, and influence without formal supervisory authority. Following onboarding and required training, the scientist works independently at trainer-level proficiency, serves as a senior subject matter expert in mass spectrometry and chromatographic technologies, directs complex investigations, and mentors laboratory colleagues across the laboratory network. The position leads analytical studies and method development, supports ingredient assessments and quality decisions, champions quality systems and data integrity, and develops laboratory capabilities and digital workflows. The role is primarily on-site in Atlanta, Georgia, across laboratory, manufacturing-site, and office environments. It follows standard business hours Monday through Friday, with occasional early-morning, evening, or weekend work as business needs require. Limited travel may be required to support suppliers, partner laboratories, technical partners, scientific collaborations, or capability development. The company will not sponsor employment-based visas; applicants must be authorized to work in the United States full-time without company sponsorship.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, biochemistry, or a related field with 10 or more years of industry experience, or a master’s degree with 5 or more years of industry experience.
Extensive advanced analytical laboratory experience.
Extensive hands-on experience operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting chromatography and mass spectrometry platforms, and interpreting their data, including LC-MS/MS, GC-MS/MS, and/or HRMS.
Experience with complex matrices, sample preparation, chemical characterization, quantitative and trace analysis, unknown investigations, and the full analytical method lifecycle.
Proven ability to lead complex scientific projects and influence technical disciplines without direct authority.
Experience with targeted and non-targeted analysis, chemical fingerprinting, trace quantitation, contaminants, authenticity, unknown identification, ingredient chemistry, degradation products, and impurities.
Strong understanding of method development and validation, reference standards, quality control, measurement performance, SOPs, technical documentation, and instrument troubleshooting.
Scientific rigor, curiosity, sound judgment, accountability, and commitment to reliable results.
Ability to use strategic, evidence-based problem solving that connects analytical findings to ingredient risk, supplier capability, laboratory strategy, and business needs.
Ability to set priorities, lead through influence, collaborate across boundaries, coach others, and communicate clear, actionable recommendations.
Commitment to innovation, continuous improvement, safety, scientific integrity, data quality, confidentiality, and quality standards.
Ability to apply systems thinking to balance scientific rigor, ingredient risk, operational needs, and supply continuity.
Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States full-time and must not require company sponsorship to continue to work legally in the United States.

Nice To Haves

Master’s or Ph.D. degree.
Experience in the food, beverage, flavor, ingredient, natural product, consumer product, pharmaceutical, or similar industry.
Experience with ISO/IEC 17025, GLP, or comparable quality systems.

Responsibilities

Design and execute targeted and non-targeted studies of food, flavor, and beverage ingredients to characterize components, chemical fingerprints, quality, variability, impurities, degradation products, contaminants, and potential adulterants; identify and quantify known and unknown compounds.
Confirm compound identities using accurate mass, isotope patterns, fragmentation behavior, MS/MS spectra, reference standards, and spectral libraries.
Optimize sample preparation and troubleshoot analytical methods, instruments, and matrix effects.
Develop, optimize, validate, verify, transfer, and implement fit-for-purpose LC-MS/MS, GC-MS/MS, HRMS, and complementary methods; evaluate performance and author protocols, reports, SOPs, and technical documentation.
Lead ingredient assessments and investigations supporting supplier qualification, specification setting, release decisions, root-cause analysis, risk mitigation, alternative sourcing, and supply continuity.
Integrate analytical findings with historical profiles, supplier and manufacturing data, regulatory requirements, and scientific literature to provide defensible recommendations.
Champion GLP, ISO/IEC 17025, the Quality Management System, data integrity, audit readiness, CAPA, laboratory safety, and confidentiality; ensure records and reports are scientifically sound.
Lead laboratory capability development, technology evaluation, and instrument lifecycle management; improve throughput, reproducibility, data quality, and efficiency through automation, digital workflows, and continuous improvement.
Use data analytics, visualization, and digital tools to communicate complex results, uncertainty, quality risk, and data gaps as scientific conclusions and business recommendations.
Lead cross-functional projects and partner with manufacturing, R&D, procurement, regulatory, and supplier teams to resolve ingredient-quality issues.
Present findings, risks, and recommendations concisely to stakeholders at all levels, including senior leadership.
Serve as a senior subject matter expert in HRMS, LC-MS/MS, GC-MS/MS, LC-QTOF, chromatographic separations, mass spectral interpretation, and related technologies.
Direct complex investigations of atypical or out-of-specification results, contamination, authenticity concerns, supplier variability, degradation, and unexplained chemical or sensory differences.
Mentor and coach scientists and laboratory colleagues across the laboratory network.
Build scientific and business cases for capability investments and new ways of working, and bring relevant external scientific and industry developments into the organization while maintaining confidentiality and a customer-focused mindset.