Senior R&D Scientist

The Senior R&D Scientist leads the development, validation, and commercialization of new food products, recipes, processes, and product improvements for Bel's GoGo SqueeZ fruit-based snacking portfolio. This role manages complex local R&D projects with limited direction, partners cross-functionally with internal teams and external suppliers, and applies advanced food science expertise to deliver solutions that meet consumer expectations, business needs, food safety, quality, cost, and manufacturing requirements. The position also supports continuous improvement, technical documentation, launch readiness, and team capability by serving as a strong technical role model and sharing expertise across projects. This is an on-site role based in Traverse City, MI. Essential Duties and Responsibilities Product and Process Development (35%) Lead development, validation, and commercialization of new food products, recipes, processes, and technologies from concept through launch. Translate marketing briefs, consumer needs, technical requirements, and business priorities into development plans, prototypes, timelines, and launch-ready solutions. Develop recipes and process parameters at bench, pilot, and industrial scale while ensuring alignment with food safety, quality, regulatory, cost, and operational requirements. Conduct pilot and industrial trials, write protocols, document results, evaluate product performance, and recommend next steps based on data and risk assessment. Evaluate physical, sensory, organoleptic, chemical, and shelf-life performance to confirm products meet expected functionality and consumer expectations. Project Leadership and Cross-Functional Execution (25%) Manage complex local R&D projects with limited direction by defining scope, milestones, communication needs, risks, and delivery expectations. Partner with Marketing, Quality, Regulatory, Purchasing, Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, and Packaging Engineering teams to develop and launch commercially viable products. Identify and advance development plans and continuous improvement opportunities that support product quality, process reliability, cost optimization, and operational efficiency. Anticipate technical and execution risks, recommend practical contingencies, and influence project-level decisions using technical judgment and business awareness. Technical Expertise and Continuous Improvement (20%) Apply advanced knowledge of fruit-based products, ingredients, formulation, processing, and manufacturing systems to resolve complex technical challenges independently. Evaluate, develop, and implement new food technologies, ingredients, processing methods, and equipment approaches with limited guidance. Maintain and expand ingredient, supplier, process, and competitive product knowledge through technical literature, supplier engagement, benchmarking, trade shows, and industry learning. Support optimization of existing products and processes, including quality improvement, cost reduction, production troubleshooting, and customer complaint resolution. Documentation, Compliance, and Launch Support (15%) Create and maintain trial reports, product specifications, process documentation, ingredient documentation, nutritional inputs, label inputs, and launch records. Ensure development work complies with applicable regulations, food safety principles, internal procedures, confidentiality expectations, and project schedules. Support raw material and supplier qualification through conformity testing, technical reviews, documentation, and supplier collaboration. Support scale-up, first production runs, operator training, and troubleshooting in partnership with operations and efficiency teams. Team Contribution and Technical Role Modeling (5%) Serve as a positive technical role model by demonstrating accountability, curiosity, sound judgment, and a continuous improvement mindset. Share technical knowledge through tastings, product evaluations, training sessions, process demonstrations, and documentation reviews, as appropriate. Contribute to a collaborative R&D culture by modeling professionalism, constructive problem solving, continuous learning, and cross-functional partnership. Skills and Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in food science, food technology, food chemistry, nutrition, or a related scientific field required; advanced degree preferred. Minimum of five years of relevant experience in R&D, product development, formulation, process development, packaging development, or the food industry. Experience with fruit-based products, pouch products, aseptic or thermal processing, manufacturing scale-up, or consumer packaged goods preferred. Strong project management skills, including the ability to plan and execute complex technical projects, manage priorities, identify risks, and drive timely decisions with limited direction. Advanced technical problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to apply data, technical expertise, business context, and risk assessment to recommend practical solutions. Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to document technical work, influence cross-functional stakeholders, and collaborate effectively with internal teams and external partners. Demonstrated learning agility and curiosity, with the ability to quickly understand and apply new concepts, technologies, ingredients, processes, and competitive product knowledge. Continuous improvement mindset, including the ability to support improvements in products, processes, documentation, cost, quality, production troubleshooting, and ways of working. Internal and External Partnerships Internal: Marketing, Quality, Regulatory, Purchasing, Supply Chain, Operations, Planning, Finance/Controlling, Packaging Engineering, Methods, and Manufacturing teams. External: Raw material suppliers, ingredient suppliers, equipment suppliers, co-manufacturers, analysis laboratories, and technical service providers. Working Conditions Work is performed largely in an office, laboratory, pilot plant, and manufacturing environment. Hours of work generally occur during regular business hours and require at least 40 hours per week. Work hours may vary at times due to special projects, plant trials, production support, deadlines, or other business needs. Up to 10% business travel may be required. The physical demands described here are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 4% match on 401k PTO, Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage from Day One #J-18808-Ljbffr