Sr. Food Scientist

TreeHouse Foods • Oak Brook, IL

13h • Hybrid

About The Position

About the Role: We are seeking a Senior Food Scientist to join our R&D team at our Oak Brook, Illinois corporate office. This role is responsible for leading the development and commercialization of new products, product improvements, and cost optimization initiatives across powdered beverage and dry mix categories. In this role, you will work closely with cross-functional teams including Marketing, Sales, Quality, Procurement, and Operations to deliver innovative, high-quality products that meet business and customer needs. This position offers the opportunity to lead product development from concept through commercialization while supporting innovation and continuous improvement across the organization. You’ll add value to this role by performing various functions including, but not limited to:

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, or related field required
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressive experience in food product development with increasing scope and responsibility
• Experience in powdered beverage, dry mix, or similar product categories preferred
• Strong understanding of ingredient functionality and interactions within dry systems
• Demonstrated ability to lead product development from concept through commercialization
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and timelines
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across cross functional teams and external partners
• Experience presenting technical concepts to customers or stakeholders preferred

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, or related field preferred

Responsibilities

• Lead bench to plant development of new products, cost optimization initiatives, and quality improvement projects
• Create prototypes, evaluate ingredient functionality, and assess new manufacturing and supplier options
• Develop product specifications, process documentation, and technical playbooks to support scale up and production
• Support technology transfer and provide onsite support during internal and external manufacturing startups
• Apply scientific methods across experimental design, trial planning, data analysis, and interpretation
• Provide technical guidance and influence cross functional decision making
• Lead complex problem-solving efforts and support root cause analysis activities
• Partner with Marketing, Sales, Quality, Procurement, Finance, Operations, and Engineering to deliver aligned solutions
• Support customer facing technical activities including presentations and product discussions
• Contribute to innovation, productivity, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Mentor and support development of less experienced team members

Benefits

• Competitive compensation and benefits program with no waiting period – you’re eligible from your first day!
• 401(k) program with 5% employer match and 100% vesting as soon as you enroll.
• Comprehensive paid time off opportunities, including immediate access to four weeks of vacation, five sick days, parental leave and 11 company holidays (including two floating holidays).
• Leaders who are invested in supporting your accelerated career growth, plus paid training, tuition reimbursement and a robust educational platform – DevelopU – with more than 10,000 free courses to support you along the way.
• An inclusive working environment where you can build meaningful work relationships with a diverse group of professionals.
• Take advantage of opportunities to build on our team-oriented culture, such as joining one of our Employee Resource Groups.
• Access to our wellness and employee assistance programs.

What This Job Offers

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