Food Scientist - Meat

Grecian Delight Foods, 1201 Tonne, Elk Grove Village, Illinois, United States of America Job Description Posted Friday, June 19, 2026 at 6:00 AM Grecian Delight | Kronos Foods ("GDK") stands at the forefront as a premier provider of authentic Greek and Mediterranean cuisine. Our portfolio, featuring gyros, specialty meats, pitas, flatbreads, tzatziki, hummus, spreads, falafel, ready‑to‑eat and plant‑based proteins, along with value‑added bakery products, reflects our commitment to quality and authenticity. Serving over 400 foodservice distributors, 30,000 independent and national chain restaurants, and marking our presence in the top 40 U.S. retailers, we continue to enrich dining experiences with the flavors of the Mediterranean. Our Vision: Continue to be the leader in Greek, Mediterranean and inspired world cuisine. We strive to have every table or menu in the world serving up our delicious flavors. Our Mission: To be top of mind with our customers as the preferred and trusted company of choice, by delivering mutual value, and acting with a sense of urgency. Guiding Principles Customer Centricity: Put the customer at the heart of the business Ownership and Empathy: Act like owners, think like customers Conscious leadership: Leading with awareness, kindness, and courage Competitive Spirit: Playing to win As members of the GDK family, we seek individuals who resonate with our vision, mission, and guiding principles. Your alignment with these core values enables us to maintain our legacy of excellence and innovation. We encourage you to embrace our commitment to customer satisfaction, ownership, leadership, and competitive spirit. Together, we will continue to bring the rich flavors of the Mediterranean to the world, fostering a culture of respect, growth, and shared success. Grecian Delight | Kronos Foods is seeking an experienced Food Scientist for our Elk Grove Village location. As our Food Scientist you will be responsible for leading meat product development (beef, pork, poultry), plant‑based protein, and hummus/dips/spreads product development; develop new formulas, processing procedures and specifications for new products, product enhancements and cost reductions. What you are going to be doing… Lead multiple development projects with an emphasis on meat protein, plant‑based protein and sauces, both new products and improvements of current products. Assume technical leadership of assigned projects from concept development through successful commercialization. Recommend new product concepts to take to development. Investigate product and process challenges, provide creative solutions, and solve challenges in development and commercialization. Work cross functionally (Operations, Maintenance, Quality, Purchasing) to determine equipment, materials and processes necessary to produce products to maximize capacity and optimize quality and differentiation. Identify and complete technical study of ingredients, suppliers, co‑packers relevant to meeting project objectives and company standards. Assure technically sound sensory panels are conducted for product development, shelf‑life studies, improving/maintaining present products and competitive testing. Identify and make recommendations for process improvements using scientific techniques, design experimentation to improve formulation, process, or equipment to deliver finished products that meet defined internal and external customer parameters. Familiarize and evaluate competitive products in the marketplace to determine market opportunities for new products and application recommendations for current products. Provide raw material information and formulas to regulatory personnel to create nutritional and product analysis, and nutritional fact panels. What you need to have… BS or MS degree in Food Science or related area with at least 3 years of product development experience in food manufacturing environment. Previous USDA meat protein product development experience. Experience working with Esha Genesis or equivalent nutritional program is a plus. Experience in food manufacturing environment. In‑depth experience in ingredients, flavors, and their functionalities. Experience in vendor/supplier contact for ingredients selection desirable. Strong technical knowledge. Solid written and verbal communication skills at all organizational levels. Computer skills in Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook) Why work with us… At Grecian Delight | Kronos Foods, we understand that fulfilling our mission involves a blend of innovation and reverence for tradition—a challenge that demands exceptional dedication from our team. We hold high expectations, but we are equally committed to supporting our employees. This commitment is reflected in our pledge to provide a respectful work environment, fair compensation, and abundant opportunities for professional growth. Our community standards are built on the pillars of equal employment opportunities, respectful dialogue and actions, integrity, and accountability. What we offer… Highly competitive compensation and bonus programs Medical, Dental and Vision options for you and your family Safe‑harbor 401(k) plan with generous matching and immediate vesting Life, AD&DD, short and long‑term disability programs Health, dependent care and commuter flexible spending accounts Health savings account contributions Additional voluntary benefit programs Paid vacations and holidays Employee assistance program (EAP) Grecian Delight | Kronos Foods Corp is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, marital status, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. #J-18808-Ljbffr Grecian Delight | Kronos Food Corp