Principal Scientist, Dry Dairy Seasonings & Ingredients

Principal Scientist, Dry Dairy Seasonings & Ingredients

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Principal Scientist to join our Seasonings & Ingredients team within the Land O'Lakes Dairy Foods R&D + Culinary organization.

This role will focus on creating and executing foundational research projects aimed at driving innovation and competitiveness of our team and business in spray-dried dairy-based seasonings.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in food-related research and spray-dried product development, excellent project management skills, and a passion for continuous learning and innovation.

Key Responsibilities:


* Own the design and execution of foundational research projects to develop novel insights and enhance the technical capabilities of the Seasonings & Ingredients R&D team.


* Lead collaboration with cross-functional R&D and non-R&D teams, including Food Chemistry, Process Engineering, Manufacturing, Marketing, Sales, Quality, and Operations, to ensure alignment and integration of projects with business objectives.


* Mentor and train other team members, fostering a culture of continuous learning and development across diverse perspectives and skill sets.


* Stay current with industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices to drive innovation and maintain a competitive edge in the seasonings and ingredients industry.


* Communicate project progress, findings, and recommendations to senior leadership and stakeholders.

Qualifications:


* Graduate Degree (M.S.

or Ph.D.) in a relevant scientific discipline (e.g., Chemistry, Food Science, Chemical Engineering, Food Engineering) with a minimum of 10 years of experience in food ingredient research and/or spray-dried product development, or equivalent experience.


* Proven track record of leading successful R&D projects and driving technical innovation in the food industry.


* Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple research projects simultaneously.


* Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, ability to clearly communicate scientific concepts to non-scientific stakeholders, and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.


* Ability to effectively and professionally represent Land O'Lakes R&D capabilities and recommendations directly to strategic customers' R&D teams.


* Demonstrated ability to mentor and develop others.

Additional Skills:


* Expertise in advanced analytical techniques, experimental design, data analysis and interpretation for dry seasonings and ingredients.


* Experience with food formulation development, emulsions, ingredient functionality, process optimization, and scale-up challenges in spray drying.


* Critical and creative problem-solving skills, adaptability to changing priorities, and ability to work effectively under project time-line pressures.


* High level of integrity, professionalism, and business acumen focused on drivi...