As a Food Applications Scientist, you will be responsible for designing and running food and beverage application experiments with ingredients derived from our novel mycoprotein platform. This includes identifying promising food/beverage applications that drive business growth for existing ingredients as well as partnering with ingredient development teams to evaluate emerging ingredients. The Food Applications Scientist will also conduct ingredient characterization testing to inform performance in food and beverage systems. To achieve this, the scientist will investigate the interaction and functionality of mycoprotein and other functional ingredients for use in food and beverage.
The ideal Scientist will have a broad understanding of several food and beverage applications, including functional/nutritional beverages, dairy, extruded snacks, cereals, sauces, and dressings. Experience in conventional as well as plant-based or “alternative” products is desired. Previous experience supporting the sale of ingredients with applications expertise and/or technical service is also desired. A strong external network of third parties that can complement internal capability would additionally be valued.
The Food Applications Scientist would be expected to have a strong background in food science with exposure to ingredient science, protein chemistry, as well as experience in laboratory techniques involving the physical characterization of foods and ingredients. The Scientist will work closely with third parties, in addition to hands-on application work, to develop and support ingredient sales. Strong communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills, as well as experience in managing multiple projects in parallel, are also important for this role. This position will report directly to the Vice President of Ingredient Development.
Duties & Responsibilities:
Help build the organization’s technical understanding relating ingredient functionality to performance in food and beverage applications/products
Working cross-functionally with internal and external product development teams to support business development efforts by identifying and conducting studies which demonstrate ingredient utility in high-potential applications
Understand interaction(s) of the ingredient in food matrices with other functional ingredients
Independently execute tasks including the development of new product applications, characterizing ingredients, and relating those measurements to application performance
Maintain a high level of awareness of technical trends and developments in the food and CPG industries
Working well in teams to develop new technology and product applications you'd never achieve on your own
Conduct bench-top work as well as coordinate the work of external resource, and analyze, summarize, and present insights that enable business growth
Provide accurate, clear, and concise communication and reports on R&D activities
Role Requirements:
M.S./Ph.D. (or extensive Industry experience) in Food Science or a related science field, with 5+ years of related food industry experience
Experience leveraging ingredients in diverse food and beverage applications
Expertise with a range of analytical techniques relevant for food science
Experience working with third parties to generate meaningful product applications and business insights
Interest in collaboration with multidisciplinary teams, and willingness to brainstorm on topics outside your area of research
Excellent communication, presentation, and organizational skills
Nature’s Fynd is a groundbreaking food tech company born out of NASA-supported research on extremophiles in the geothermal pools of Yellowstone National Park. Our novel fermentation technology produces a sustainable source of complete protein using only a fraction of the resources required by traditional agriculture. As the challenge to feed the world’s expanding population grows, our mission is to create amazing foods and materials that provide sustainable choices and nurture the planet.