Senior Scientist, Product Development & Scale Up

New Culture • San Leandro, CA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

At New Culture, we make cow cheese without the cow. Dairy cheese is unsustainable and plant-based cheeses don’t work. Ours are sustainable, healthy, ethical, and indistinguishable from current dairy options in taste, texture, and function. Using fermentation to produce dairy proteins, food science to combine those proteins with natural ingredients, and traditional cheesemaking methods to make any cheese of choice, we are bringing about a new culture for the cheese industry.
We are a Bay Area-based, venture-backed startup in an exciting growth and rapid expansion phase. We are looking for an experienced and motivated Senior Scientist, Product Development & Scale Up to join us in our mission of producing animal-free dairy cheese. By being one of our early employees, you will have significant say and responsibility in determining the success and outcomes of New Culture. The ideal candidate will thrive in a fast-moving collaborative environment, and will have a deep understanding of novel food research, design and development.

Requirements

• PhD in Physics/Chemistry/Materials Science/Food Science/Food Engineering (or other relevant area of study) with 3+ years of relevant industry experience, or Masters with 7+ years of relevant industry experience - not including academic research and/or experience affiliated with academic pilot plant facilities
• Experience with novel food product development and troubleshooting ingredient functionality
• Technical expertise in ingredient chemistry as it relates to functionality and stability in food systems
• Scale-up experience
• Driving the process development and optimization for product scale up, hitting all the product quality specs
• Liaising with internal and external parties to drive successful production trials and runs
• Working knowledge of food safety and quality principles and experience with CGMP, HACCP, QA/QC standards and testing frameworks
• Hands-on experience with texture analysis, rheology, and emulsification instruments and methods
• Strong data analysis and interpretation skills
• Ability to work cross-functionally and adapt to dynamic workflows and shifting priorities
• Creative and resourceful problem solving skills
• Strong communication skills for sharing progress updates with stakeholders as well as for customer-facing events
• Self-starter and goal-oriented with team-first mentality

Nice To Haves

• Dairy R&D experience and have developed food and/or beverage products with plant or ideally dairy proteins
• Concept to launch product development and commercialization experience in foodservice and retail
• Familiarity with FDA (GRAS) standards and regulations for dairy and dairy alternatives
• Experience coordinating and conducting sensory panels
• Proficiency in Genesis R&D® Food Formulation & Labeling Software or equivalent, and familiarity with FDA nutrition and health claims
• Previous experience at a start-up or small business

Responsibilities

• Work with cross-functional teams and external advisors to optimize and commercialize the world’s first animal-free dairy mozzarella cheese
• Apply hands-on food chemistry, analysis, polymer science, microbiology, process development and scale-up to develop, evaluate and enhance cheese organoleptic quality, functional performance, and shelf-life
• Utilize understanding of commercial-scale operations and implementation to participate in/lead the identification of product specifications, processing methods, and control parameters
• Support scale-up activities in-house and technology transfer to contract manufacturers
• Qualify ingredients for new formulations and alternate suppliers for existing ingredients
• Conduct in-house sensory testing and organize external sensory panels
• Participate in IP generation and applications development
• Collaborate with chefs and industry partners to craft and deliver internal and external product demonstrations and culinary events
• Keep meticulous records of R&D activities (product iterations, new ingredient trials, processing methods, analytical assays and results)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree