What are the responsibilities and job description for the Pizza Food Scientist position at Palermo's Pizza?
PIZZA FOOD SCIENTIST
Are you passionate about food innovation, bakery science, and bringing new pizza products to life? Join Palermo’s and help shape the future of frozen pizza through hands-on product development, commercialization, and continuous improvement initiatives. As a Pizza Food Scientist, you’ll play a key role in developing high-quality pizza crusts and finished products that delight consumers and support business growth.
Who you’ll work for…
While most companies that sell pizza have no real connection to Italy, Palermo’s passion for food and family reaches all the way back to the country where pizza was born. “Papa Palermo” carried the cherished recipes to America from Sicily!
Innovation is at the heart of who we are. We use an entrepreneurial, forward-thinking approach resulting in high-quality products that are consistently recognized by both the industry and consumers.
Our commitment to quality has made Palermo’s a leader in private label frozen pizza and contract manufacturing!
Perks…
Located in Milwaukee’s Menomonee River Valley, Villa Palermo is a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility connected to our corporate headquarters.
Our high-tech operations include an on-site bakery, advanced manufacturing technology, pilot and plant-scale production capabilities, and cross-functional collaboration with Operations, Quality, Engineering, and Procurement teams.
This role is fully onsite at our Canal Street location, giving you direct exposure to hands-on product development and commercialization activities.
What you’ll do…
Are you passionate about food innovation, bakery science, and bringing new pizza products to life? Join Palermo’s and help shape the future of frozen pizza through hands-on product development, commercialization, and continuous improvement initiatives. As a Pizza Food Scientist, you’ll play a key role in developing high-quality pizza crusts and finished products that delight consumers and support business growth.
Who you’ll work for…
While most companies that sell pizza have no real connection to Italy, Palermo’s passion for food and family reaches all the way back to the country where pizza was born. “Papa Palermo” carried the cherished recipes to America from Sicily!
Innovation is at the heart of who we are. We use an entrepreneurial, forward-thinking approach resulting in high-quality products that are consistently recognized by both the industry and consumers.
Our commitment to quality has made Palermo’s a leader in private label frozen pizza and contract manufacturing!
Perks…
- 20 free pizzas per month
- Competitive salary with bonus potential
- Paid Time Off and Floating Holiday of your choice
- 401(k) & Roth with company match and fully vested on the 1st of the month after hire
- Comprehensive benefits package starting the 1st of the month after hire
- Opportunities for professional growth and career advancement
- Work alongside a collaborative and innovative R&D team
Located in Milwaukee’s Menomonee River Valley, Villa Palermo is a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility connected to our corporate headquarters.
Our high-tech operations include an on-site bakery, advanced manufacturing technology, pilot and plant-scale production capabilities, and cross-functional collaboration with Operations, Quality, Engineering, and Procurement teams.
This role is fully onsite at our Canal Street location, giving you direct exposure to hands-on product development and commercialization activities.
What you’ll do…
- Lead and support new product development initiatives from concept through commercialization
- Develop and optimize pizza crusts, bakery items, and pizza toppings
- Conduct bench-top, pilot plant, and manufacturing trials
- Formulate products to meet quality, sensory, nutritional, and cost targets
- Evaluate ingredients, raw materials, and supplier opportunities
- Conduct sensory evaluations, testing, and technical assessments
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Operations, Quality, Engineering, Procurement, Sales, and Marketing
- Support continuous improvement and cost savings initiatives through formulation and process optimization
- Maintain technical documentation, formulations, and specifications
- Help troubleshoot technical and manufacturing challenges while supporting plant operations
- Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Bakery Science, Food Engineering, Nutrition, Chemistry, Biology, or related field
- 3–5 years of food product development experience within food manufacturing, bakery, or related industries
- Strong understanding of dough systems, bakery science, and ingredient functionality
- Hands-on experience with food preparation, ingredient weighing, mixing, and prototype development
- Experience supporting pilot plant and manufacturing scale-up activities
- Knowledge of food safety, GMPs, sanitation, and quality systems
- Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative manufacturing environment
- You’re passionate about innovation and turning ideas into commercialized products
- You enjoy balancing technical problem-solving with hands-on product development
- You communicate effectively across technical and non-technical teams
- You’re highly organized and detail-oriented while managing multiple projects
- You thrive in collaborative environments and enjoy working cross-functionally
- You bring curiosity, initiative, and a continuous improvement mindset to everything you do