Application Scientist

The Application Scientist will play a key role in supporting customer innovation through the development of food and beverage formulations while building in-depth knowledge of Prodalim’s portfolio of natural ingredients. This role will serve as a technical support resource for both cross-functional and commercial teams, working closely with Key Account Managers to understand customer needs and translating them into viable solutions through application development and innovation within Prodalim’s portfolio — directly contributing to increased commercial activity and customer growth.

The ideal candidate will be a self-starter, as they will serve as the first member of the Applications team and the primary day-to-day operator of the Prodalim USA Applications Lab.

Responsibilities

1. Applications Lab

• Act as the main day to day operator of the Prodalim USA Applications lab
• Development of prototypes/formulations to highlight added value of Prodalim’s portfolio across applications - based on customer briefs, market trends and internal initiatives.
• Develop In depth understanding of food beverage processing to support customers in utilizing Prodalim’s ingredients from bench through commercialization.
• Explore and research performance of new ingredients and application matrices to support companies’ growth into new categories.
• Prep and ship samples to support commercial team’s customer meetings
• Keep the lab fully stocked with necessary ingredients, consumables and inventory samples.

2. Technical Support for Sales

• Serve as a key partner to sales providing technical support as needed.
• Join customer meetings alongside commercial team members to address technical questions.
• Support the sales team in preparing samples, presentations, and product positioning strategies.

3. Technical Expertise

• Maintain in depth technical knowledge of Prodalim’s Natural Ingredient Portfolio including but not limited to - FTNF, Oils, Colors, Fibers, Compounds, Botanical/Functional Extracts, etc.
• Monitor and stay up to date on market trends, new technology, ingredients, etc.

4. Customer-Centric Solutions

• Translate customer requirements into viable technical solutions.
• Product testing, and support during reformulations or product launches.
• Ensure technical documentation and samples are accurate and provided in a timely manner.

5. Cross-functional Collaboration

• Work closely with R&D, Quality, Regulatory, and Production teams to validate solutions and ensure feasibility and compliance.
• Coordinate with Categories to ensure alignment on products compliance with customer requirements
• Provide feedback to R&D and marketing teams on technical gaps and potential innovation opportunities.

6. Training & Knowledge Sharing

• Train internal sales teams and distribution partners in technical aspects of products and solutions.
• Develop and maintain up-to-date technical documentation and sales enablement tools.

Knowledge and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in food science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.
• 3-5 years of experience in R&D or Applications, preferably within the ingredient or beverage industry.
• Strong technical understanding of natural ingredients (ex: fruit extracts, essential oils), Food Beverage processing and formulation.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to manage customer relationships and present technical concepts clearly.
• Flexibility to manage tight timelines and capability to work multiple projects at once.
• Eager to learn and enthusiastic to gain deeper understanding of natural ingredients.