Sr. Sensory Scientist

Ingredion Incorporated • Bridgewater, NJ

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

About Ingredion: Join Ingredion, where innovation impacts lives worldwide! Without even realizing it, you’ve experienced our work in your favorite chocolate, your pet’s food, the paper you write on, and your everyday snacks. As a global powerhouse across more than 60 industries, we harness the potential of natural ingredients to transform lives. Whether you’re just starting your career or bringing years of experience, there's a place for you here to make a real difference. Be part of our team that values a wide range of perspectives and is committed to shaping a better world with every product we create. Location: Bridgewater, NJ Workplace Type: On-Site/Hybrid (4 days/week on-site & 1 day/week remote) As the Senior Sensory Scientist, you will be responsible for designing sensory experiments to answer business questions. You will consult with key stakeholders to understand research needs, manage project execution, conduct statistical analysis, generate reports, and share findings with stakeholders. You will develop new sensory protocols and train sensory team members on these protocols to ensure high quality actionable data. This role reports to the Director of Global Sensory with a responsibility to support the Differentiated Services business unit.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or M.S. degree in Food Science or relevant sensory coursework, graduate degree preferred.
• 8+ years of relevant sensory and consumer research experience.
• Strong statistical understanding with the ability to interpret results in a business context.
• Ability to independently design experiments to answer research questions.
• Panel leadership experience, including training and mentoring panelists.
• Comfortable pivoting quickly between business priorities and projects.
• Highly detail-oriented with strong organizational and planning skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrates consumer empathy and applies insights to research outcomes.
• A deep interest in understanding the human perception of food and beverage
• Strong quantitative reasoning skills
• Ability to work collaboratively with peers and others
• Creative problem-solver with a continuous improvement mindset
• Desire to create research with impact

Responsibilities

• Cross-Functional Consulting & Influence (40%) Act as a strategic thought partner to key stakeholders, shaping sensory vision and driving high-impact interpretation across Differentiated Services.
• Serve as the subject matter expert for Ingredion’s Differentiated Services, influencing key customer relationships and representing the company at high-level technical and industry forums.
• Provide sensory insights to customers and internal stakeholders though written reports and presentations.
• Interface with customer product development teams, being a trusted advisor on integrating sensory into the product development cycle.
• Strategic Sensory Leadership (30%) Work with key stakeholders to develop new technical initiatives aimed at improving our predictive formulation capabilities.
• Oversee the development of new sensory methodologies.
• Work with the sensory laureate to integrate next generation technologies into the sensory team.
• Sit on cross functional working groups to ensure sensory is integrated into the Differentiated Services strategy.
• Innovation & Thought Leadership (20%) Demonstrate scientific and technical leadership in sensory research to internal partners and external customers.
• Promote innovative approaches to integrating sensory science into predictive formulation workflows.
• Identify insights and trends from metadata analysis, build predictive model, and create interactive toolkits
• Capability Building (10%) Lead the Differentiated Services mentorship program, focusing on building technical and career guidance with geographical sensory team members.
• Lead internal training programs and knowledge-sharing initiatives.

Benefits

• Total Rewards Package – Competitive salary and performance-based pay recognizing your contributions to our success
• Comprehensive Benefits & Wellness Support – Health, long-term savings, and resources for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being
• Career Growth – Learning, training, and development opportunities, including tuition reimbursement
• Employee Recognition Program – a culture of real-time appreciation, with personalized recognition rewards globally
• Employee Discount Program – provides exclusive discounts on everyday products, services, and travel

What This Job Offers

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