R&D Food Scientist-Sports Nutrition

Trove Nutrition is a subsidiary of Trove Brands—the parent company of global brands including Owala, BlenderBottle, and Whiskware—and is home to a rapidly growing brand launched in 2024: Oath Nutrition, a sports performance brand, already achieving retail distribution and poised for significant growth. Oath Nutrition®, is redefining sports supplements by making them easy to enjoy, seriously delicious, and science-backed, with its best-selling Clear Protein fueling healthy, active lifestyles through crave-worthy taste, approachable branding, and disruptive innovation. At Trove Nutrition, we value humility, collaboration, and an optimistic "what would it take?" mindset, and you'll join a bold, energetic team that thrives on creativity and teamwork as we fuel the future of nutrition, one big idea at a time.

A career at Trove is not about punching the clock. It's about embracing exciting and fast-paced opportunities that sharpen your skills, drive innovation, and play an integral role in growing our global reach. Your work will not only impact the company, it will impact the lives of millions of people around the world. When you step up to a career at Trove, you step up to cutting-edge excellence. You sign up for bold action and invigorating synergy. You agree to face—and break through—new challenges every single day.

We are seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented R&D Scientist I to join our dynamic Research & Development team, with a focus on sports nutrition product innovation. This role requires prior experience directly formulating and flavoring products across a variety of delivery matrices, including powders, ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, baked/freeze-dried goods, and extruded items. The ideal candidate will combine a strong scientific foundation with creativity and practical hands-on execution to deliver innovative, consumer-accepted products from concept to commercialization.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who thrives in a collaborative, fast-paced environment and is passionate about performance nutrition, functional ingredients, and food science.

Job Responsibilities:

• Flavoring products.
• Hands-on development of innovative sports nutrition products in various delivery formats.
• Utilize the latest research and trends in nutritional science and biochemistry to guide development decisions and optimize product efficacy.
• Apply a deep understanding of physical and organic chemistry principles to drive product optimization and flavor development.
• Participate in and contribute to sensory evaluation studies; collect and interpret data to guide formulation adjustments for consumer acceptability.
• Conduct stability testing and troubleshoot formulation challenges with minimal supervision.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing, Project Management, Supply Chain, Quality Assurance, Regulatory, Legal, and external partners to ensure timely and compliant product launches.
• Operation of laboratory equipment, including mixers, pH meters, Brix refractometers, density testers, and other analytical tools.
• Develop formulas considering ingredient claims, interactions in formulation, and implications for certificate of analysis standards.
• Manage multiple product development projects simultaneously, ensuring they are completed on time, within budget, and in alignment with strategic goals.
• Ensure exemplary record keeping, reporting, and documentation of all project activities in both written and electronic formats.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe laboratory environment in compliance with internal policies and safety standards.
• Awareness of regulatory requirements to ensure product claims and nutrition facts panels meet applicable standards (FDA, DSHEA, etc.).
• Coordinate and communicate effectively with contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs); support scale-up trials and commercial production activities.
• Refine and standardize raw material specifications.
  
  

Job Qualifications:

• Must have a strong background in flavoring theory and application.
• Understanding of ingredient functionality, food chemistry, and sensory science.
• Proficient in formulating food and beverage products with time and budget constraints.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities effectively in a dynamic environment.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; ability to explain technical concepts to cross-functional stakeholders.
• Detail-oriented with strong analytical, organizational, and project management abilities.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint); experience with formulation and nutritional software (e.g., ESHA) is a plus.
• Experience with basic statistical analysis tools and research methodologies.
• Strong problem-solving mindset with a proactive and flexible approach to R&D challenges.
• Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Food Science, Food Chemistry, Nutritional Sciences, or a related scientific discipline.
• Preferred: Advanced coursework or background in nutritional biochemistry.
• Minimum of 2 years of relevant experience in food product development, preferably in sports nutrition, functional foods, or nutraceuticals.
• Hands-on experience with contract manufacturing or co-manufacturing environments is highly desirable.
• Flavoring products and experience working through various food matrices for ideal organoleptics, stability, and making label claims are key.
• Understanding of regulatory frameworks related to food labeling and nutrition claims.
• Willingness to travel up to 25% for production trials, vendor visits, and other project needs.
  
  

Additional information

Our culture is passionate, entrepreneurial, and energetic. We value innovation through collaboration. And while we work smart and hard, we also connect and celebrate with equal gusto. We host team-building activities, athletic events, and seasonal celebrations to foster community and reward accomplishments. Bottom line? You'll love it here.

Among the many benefits our team members enjoy are:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision care
• 401k package with employer matching
• Paid Time Off
• Maternity/Paternity leave
• Full indoor basketball/volleyball court
• Fully equipped fitness center (cardio, weights, functional fitness area, lockers and showers, etc.)
• Yoga studio
• Meditation/Nap room
• And much more!
  
  

Trove Brands is an equal opportunity employer.

This is a fully in-office position in Lehi, Utah.

Phone calls regarding this position are not accepted.