Sr Product Development Scientist

Keurig Dr Pepper•Burlington, MA

102d•$76,400 - $115,000•Onsite

About The Position

This role leads the formulation and scale‑up of powdered beverage systems—with an emphasis on single‑serve platforms—by applying engineering fundamentals, material science, and product development best practices. The Sr Product Development Scientist will design powders that meet performance, nutrition, and sensory targets while remaining robust in manufacturing, packaging, and consumer use.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Food Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Food Science, Materials Science, or related field.
7+ years of experience in product development or processing, preferably developing dry powders or granulated food systems (beverages strongly preferred).
Strong working knowledge of: Powder flow and bulk solids behavior, Thermal and mass transfer, Dissolution and rehydration mechanics, Particle size distribution and morphology
Experience translating lab formulations to pilot and full‑scale manufacturing.

Nice To Haves

MS or PhD Preferred
Experience with single‑serve formats.
Understanding of nutritional ingredients and claims (protein systems, sweeteners, fibers, fortification).
Familiarity with agglomeration, spray drying, blending, or densification processes.
Ability to apply engineering thinking within a consumer‑led product development environment.
Strong technical communication and cross‑functional influence.
Experience with coffee based beverages.

Responsibilities

Develop and optimize powdered beverage formulations (coffee-adjacent, functional, dairy/non‑dairy, flavored systems) for single‑serve and other preparations
Apply engineering and physical chemistry principles (thermodynamics, mass/heat transfer, fluid flow, particle interactions) to improve dissolution, dispersion, stability, and consistency.
Design powders with controlled flowability, density, hygroscopicity, agglomeration, and dissolution kinetics.
Partner closely with R&D, Sensory, Nutrition, Packaging, Procurement, and Operations to transition formulations from bench to commercialization.
Lead pilot‑ and plant‑scale trials; define critical material attributes (CMAs) and critical process parameters (CPPs).
Diagnose and resolve manufacturing and field issues related to powder handling, fill performance, clumping, segregation, or consumer prep in collaboration with processing engineers
Document formulations, specifications, and experimental results; contribute to technical readiness and risk assessments.
Support innovation platforms requiring nutritional claims (protein, functionality, reduced sugar, fortification, etc.) and understand formulation implications.