Food Scientist I

SUMMARY OF POSITION

The Food Scientist supports R&D initiatives ranging from new product development and innovation to product quality improvement, sensory analysis, shelf-life evaluation, and regulatory compliance. This role requires applying strong technical and scientific principles to drive innovation, ensure product excellence, and manage assigned projects from concept through commercialization with guidance from management.  This role is based on the production facility and requires regular work in the plant environment to support production trials, scale-ups, and product launches. The position demands comfort with ambiguity, initiative in problem-solving, attention to detail, and the ability to translate complex challenges into actionable solutions.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Apply food science and engineering principles to deliver technical and innovative solutions for pistachio, almond, and nut-based products.

• Manage assigned technical projects with increasing independence, taking initiative to identify challenges, link cross-functional insights, and drive progress amid ambiguity.

• Apply ingredient functionality knowledge to improve existing product quality and develop innovative new products.

• Plan and execute bench, pilot, and plant trials, and support commercial scale-ups to resolve processing challenges.

• Support evaluation of new technologies for roasting, seasoning, and nut-based product applications, driving innovation, solving technical challenges, and keeping pace with industry trends.

• Support regulatory compliance regulatory compliance activities by maintaining accurate nutrition, ingredient, and labeling information for all products and supporting alignment with domestic and international requirements.

• Apply sensory science methodologies to assess product quality, conduct discrimination testing, support descriptive analysis, and generate actionable recommendations.

• Conduct data-driven shelf-life studies; evaluate correlations between organoleptic changes, lipid oxidation, and packaging film properties. Recommend shelf-life extension strategies.

• Maintain detailed project documentation, specifications, reports, and data archives.

• Support and promote a safe, healthy, and compliant work environment.

• Build effective cross-functional relationships and collaborate with marketing, sales, and operations to ensure successful commercialization and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Perform other duties as assigned.