Associate Scientist, Quality (Epogee)

Epogee is a food science and lipid chemistry company developing novel structured lipids for the food industry. Our flagship ingredient, EPG® (esterified propoxylated glycerol), is a patented fat alternative with 92% fewer calories than traditional fats. EPG can be used in a wide variety of food applications (e.g., frying and baking, as well as confectionery and snack applications). This role operates exclusively within Epogee’s independent team, leadership, and mission.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and contribute to a Safety-First Lab Culture
  • Actively champion and seek to continuously improve the culture of safety in the lab
  • Maintain up-to-date knowledge of safety guidelines and integrate best practices into daily lab activities
  • Ensure proper use, storage, and disposal of chemicals, biological materials, and hazardous waste
  • Ensure all personal protective equipment (PPE) is used correctly and available at all times
  • Maintain quality lab equipment, calibration schedules, and supply inventory
• Analytical & Quality Testing
  • Execute routine and non-routine analytical testing on EPG batches and ingredients, including titrations, acid value, hydroxyl value, water activity, and other physical/chemical analyses
  • Perform batch assessment and release testing to verify conformance to internal specifications
  • Support method development and validation as new test procedures are needed
  • Maintain accurate, well-documented lab records and ensure data integrity across all testing
• Shelf Life & Stability
  • Conduct shelf-life and stability testing for EPG and perform comparable analyses on EPG-containing finished products for customers
  • Collect, organize, and report data on a recurring basis per established procedures
  • Flag deviations or unexpected trends to the R&D team for investigation
• Quality Documentation & Data
  • Compile and organize quality data for internal review and reporting
  • Support preparation of Certificates of Analysis (COAs) and other quality documentation for internal and external customers
  • Assist with quality trend tracking as directed by R&D leadership
  • Support building a quality management system and sharpening document organization and development
• Cross-Functional Support
  • Work with the synthesis/analytical chemistry team on production batch quality assessments
  • Support R&D and applications teams with ad hoc testing and sample preparation
  • Coordinate with external labs when third-party testing is required

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Food Science, Biology, Chemistry, or related field
• Comfort and enthusiasm for spending the majority of the day in the lab running hands-on analytical work
• Familiarity with wet chemistry techniques (titrations, acid/base analysis) — coursework or internship experience is sufficient
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail; able to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Low ego, high drive — humble, self-aware, and motivated by the mission

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with food safety and regulatory frameworks (FDA, USDA, CFIA, FSMA, HACCP, SQF, Prop 65)

Benefits

• Full-time, in-office role based in New York City (five days a week)
• Salary: $90,000 - $110,000 per year, inclusive of bonus
• Company equity options
• 100% covered health, vision, and dental insurance
• 401(k) with 4% match
• Covered gym expenses
• Substantial and required PTO

Travel will be required to assess manufacturing operations.