Product Development Scientist

Johnsonville’s research & development (R&D) team is where our commitment to innovation has a distinctly scientific flavor. As a member of our R&D team, you’ll be responsible for continually finding new ways to improve upon current Johnsonville products and develop new ones. You and your teammates will use the latest consumer trend data to bring new and exciting flavors to the marketplace. You may also have opportunities to work with regulatory and other experts to design new and innovative packaging for our products. Position Overview Johnsonville has an excellent opportunity for an outstanding individual to join us as a key member of our Product Development Team. Your primary responsibility will be to drive significant business growth and profitability by enabling Johnsonville to develop and commercialize products that meet critical to quality criteria through formula, process and equipment optimization. In this role, you will: Work as part of an agile Research & Development Team to optimize or develop existing and new products or processes from concept to commercialization Overcome technical hurdles by integrating meat science, meat processing, food safety and consumer insight concepts that advance product and process performance of RTE and fresh meat products Interact and develop strong relationships with other members from Marketing, Operations, Food Safety and Quality, Engineering, R&D, and Supply Chain. Responsibilities Build superior products and processes by leveraging your knowledge and skill sets in product development, meat/food science, food chemistry, processing, packaging and manufacturing. It is expected that you continuously develop your competencies in these areas so that you are able to make significant contributions to the development of new products and/or extend the gap on quality of existing products Enable production facilities to make products that are within specification and address formulation and processing parameters that are critical to quality. Challenge your ability as a technical member on multiple cross‑functional teams and expect to contribute to productivity, flexible formulation, and development projects through concept to commercialization. Leverage your network of industry, academic and vendor relationships to help guide rapid development and solve problems Expand your skills as a communicator through written and oral communication by working effectively with all levels within the organization so that business needs are met Become recognized within Johnsonville and the food industry as a world class Food (Meat) Scientist because of your accomplishments, continuous learning, and leadership abilities Education Master’s Degree or higher (Ph. D preferred) in Animal or Food Science with a meat science emphasis required Experience Meat industry experience (3 years) in product development of prepared refrigerated/frozen foods preferred; experience in fresh and ready‑to‑eat red meat/poultry is a plus Experience working with a wide range of proteins in both fresh and ready‑to‑eat formats including formulation, processing, knowledge of shelf life, food safety requirements and recommendation of packaging structures required Knowledge of USDA/FDA regulations and standards beneficial Skills Drive for results Comfortable with ambiguity, calculated risk taking, fast pace & change management Ability to communicate details to both technical and non-technical members for fact‑based decision making Demonstrated ability to overcome technical barriers in a manner that achieves a product’s critical to quality attributes while managing cost pressures Analytical (gathers critical data to help the organization make informed decisions) Other Requirements Travel: Up to 30% of your time Benefits and Compensation Members have potential for a monthly bonus and 401k with a company match. Members also have access to terrific benefits including affordable medical, dental and vision coverage; flexible spending accounts; disability and life insurance; and fertility and adoption assistance. Johnsonville also offers competitive paid time off, including paid parental time off, as well as access to the 24/7 onsite fitness center, and onsite medical clinic! Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and location. Applicants must be eligible to work in the country where this job is located, without requiring sponsorship now or in the future. Johnsonville is an equal opportunity employer, including Vet/Disability. We embrace the principles of Equal Opportunity Employment and do not discriminate on the basis of any protected characteristic, including protected veteran and disability status. #J-18808-Ljbffr