Food Scientist – Innovation Location: Oak Brook, IL (Onsite Only)Compensation: $110,000–$130,000 + bonusSchedule: Full-time, onsite role with regular lab and plant floor involvement

Summary

This role is with a long-standing manufacturer of snack products, known for consistent quality and strong customer relationships. The company has been around for 67 years, and while deeply rooted in tradition, the organization is undergoing a meaningful shift and investing in new technology, creative marketing, and smarter product development strategies.

They’re building something sustainable for the next century, starting with a new approach to R&D. With stable ownership, a clear product identity, and a growing innovation mindset, this is a place where your work will be noticed—and matter.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day technical activity in the lab, benchtop testing, formulation, and sample preparation
• Oversee reformulation efforts to improve texture, shelf life, and cost
• Work with operations on formulations to remove dyes and natural flavorings
• Partner with production to ensure manufacturing compatibility and run efficiency
• Manage pilot trials and scale-up, troubleshooting issues as needed
• Support testing for sensory evaluations, nutritional labeling, and regulatory needs
• Maintain clean, organized project tracking in Excel including version control, formulation logs, and trial results
• Serve as the go-to technical expert and partner with the Director of R&D for long-term planning

Requirements

• BS degree in Food Science or related science field is required
• 7+ years in food scientist technical work, and R&D experience
• Prefer 2+ years working on snacks, confectionary, desserts, baked goods, or related products
• Strong understanding of product development lifecycle in a manufacturing environment
• Able to take creative direction and translate it into technical execution
• Comfortable working both in the lab and on the floor with operators and production staff
• Experience with contract manufacturing and vendor collaboration is preferred
• Skilled at juggling multiple projects and timelines with minimal supervision
• Confident communicator who can break down technical topics for non-technical teammates