Associate Food Scientist

Cargill is committed to providing food and agricultural solutions to nourish the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way. Sitting at the heart of the supply chain, we partner with farmers and customers to source, make and deliver products that are vital for living.

Our 155,000 team members innovate with purpose, providing customers with life’s essentials so businesses can grow, communities prosper, and consumers live well. With over 160 years of experience as a family company, we look ahead while remaining true to our values. We put people first. We reach higher. We do the right thing—today and for generations to come.

Your Role:

Connect to meaningful work. Feed the world. Achieve your higher purpose.

What if your ideas could nourish the world? As an associate, we transfer your knowledge and skills into profound experiences that positively impact our global community. From food to transportation, your innovative solutions, collaboration and dedication will evolve industries to take on tomorrow's greatest challenges. And that's just the beginning. Because when your skills meet our unrivaled network and breadth of opportunity, your career is without bounds. Join our community to realize the impact of your work, help people around the world and connect with something greater.

Associate Food Scientist, R&D:

The Associate Food Scientist is primarily responsible for new product development within Chocolate Confectionery category. In this role, you will develop new product and application solutions to support customers and Cargill’s Cocoa & Chocolate North America business.

Key Accountabilities

• Perform formulation work in lab or pilot plants to develop and commercialize custom products or applications for customers.
• Collaborate and coordinate with technical services, commercialization, engineering, plant operations, marketing and sales colleagues to win customer opportunities.
• Support commercial and technical teams to build strong customer relationships and gain market insights, seeking for new opportunities and stay current with scientific literature and the general food industry to enable business insights.
• Maintain lab and equipment, and develop new methods, procedures and techniques to drive efficiency and innovation.
• Conduct analysis and provide interpretation of experiments and trial results to internal stakeholders that are completed by self, team members and with minimal direction to determines next steps.
• Analyze, interpret and document project results for more complex projects and presents results to cross functional audiences for use in future product development or modification.
• Maintain detailed lab records on work conducted in Cargill approved shared drives and systems
• Independently solve moderately complex issues with minimal supervision, while escalating more complex issues to appropriate staff.
• Help train internal and external stakeholders on portfolio and technologies.
• Other duties as assigned
  
  

Our Benefits:

No matter who you are or where you are, we’ve designed our plans and programs to meet your needs. We want to help you take care of what’s needed for today and offer protection to help with tomorrow’s what-ifs. You’ll have access to a wide variety of flexible and inclusive programs to meet your health, financial, and work/life needs to support you and help you succeed. Eligible programs and incentives include:

• Paid holidays and floating holidays
• Paid time off*
• Comprehensive health care plans
• Short term and long-term incentives
• Mental Health and Wellbeing program
• Digital Learning Library
• Retirement plans
• Paid time to participate in volunteer and community outreach opportunities
• Tuition reimbursement programs
• Relocation benefits for those that qualify
• Minnesota-based employees: Minnesota Sick and Safe Leave accruals of one hour for every 30 worked, up to 48 hours per calendar year unless otherwise provided by law.
  
  

Compensation:

The expected salary for this position is $65,000. The disclosed salary has not been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled.

At Cargill we put people first. As part of your overall rewards, we offer a comprehensive benefit program including medical and/or other benefits dependent on the position offered and hours worked.

Our Vibrant Community:

At Cargill, you will be a part of our vibrant global community with a culture that celebrates diversity. This is a reflection of the clients we serve and generates an intellectually diverse set of employees. Business Resource Groups (BRGs) help us embrace our diversity, make our culture more inclusive and enhance our employees’ outstanding talents and perspectives to benefit our organization and employees.

Our U.S. Business Resource Groups include:

Asian Alliance Network, Cargill Young Professionals Network, Cargill Ability Network (iCAN), Cargill Ebony Council, Indigenous Peoples Network (IPN), Hispanic-Latino Council, Cargill Pride Network, Veterans & Military Support Network, and Cargill Women’s Network.

Job Locations:

• Milwaukee, WI and Plymouth, MN
  
  

Required Qualifications:

• Right to work in the U.S. that is not based solely on possession of a student visa or a visa sponsored by a third-party employer
• Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Food Science or related field and graduating between December 2025 and Summer 2026.
• Basic food ingredient knowledge and ability to formulate food products
• Willing and able to relocate to Milwaukee, WI and Plymouth, MN for this job opportunity.
• Ability to work optimally with individuals from a diverse set of backgrounds and cultures
• Ability to contribute, both as part of a team and individually
• Strong communication skills – written and oral
  
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in food formulations, ingredient functionality and product commercialization.
• Experience in research and development
• Tech-savvy and comfortable with evolving business-critical technology
  
  

Equal Opportunity Employer, including Disability/Vet.