Senior Scientist

As a Senior Scientist, you will lead R&D activities to support business growth strategies. You will be responsible for planning, managing, and executing technical product and process development projects. Your role will involve driving product development, formulation, and innovation pipeline initiatives, as well as leading process design, specifications, scale-up, and commissioning.

Responsibilities

• Lead R&D activities to support business growth strategies.
• Plan, manage, and execute technical product and process development projects.
• Drive product development, formulation, and innovation pipeline initiatives.
• Lead process design, specifications, scale-up (pilot plant to full production), and commissioning.
• Conduct modeling, simulation, pilot trials, and factory trials following GMP and HACCP standards.
• Design experiments, analyze data, and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with marketing, operations, and quality to align on project priorities.
• Identify new product opportunities based on consumer needs and business priorities.
• Provide technical expertise and serve as a link to internal and external technical teams.
• Develop and maintain consumer-centric product and process specifications.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, quality, documentation, and shelf-life requirements.
• Identify risks across projects and develop mitigation plans.
• Write process specifications to ensure consistent product quality across manufacturing sites.
• Manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Communicate findings and recommendations effectively across all levels of the organization.
• Contribute to intellectual property development to create competitive advantage.
• Manage stakeholders from marketing, quality, and pilot plant leaders.
• Handle multiple projects at once for process and product development.
• Manage shared reports and break down data for stakeholders.

• Proficiency in food science and product development processes.
• Experience in process development.
• Bachelor's degree in Food Science or a related field.
• 5 years of experience in food product development.
• Project management experience.
• Stakeholder management experience.
• Strong communication and data analysis skills.

• Bilingual in Spanish is a plus, but not required.

This position requires up to 25-30% travel within the US and occasional trips to Mexico, making bilingual skills beneficial. You will work 3 days a week at the East Hanover, NJ site, with 2 days of work from home.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of East Hanover, NJ.

The pay range for this position is $86900.00 - $110000.00/yr.

Annual salary with annual merit increases and incentive bonuses. Will also have access to PTO, 401K packages, and full benefits.

This is a hybrid position in East Hanover,NJ.

This position is anticipated to close on Jul 4, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.

Salary : $86,900 - $110,000