Bakery Scientist

Kemin Food Technologies is a privately held, family-owned-and-operated global biotechnology company driven by curiosity and committed to transforming the quality of life for people, pets, and the planet. We create solutions that strengthen health and wellbeing, provide nutrition and immune support, safeguard natural resources, and protect the global food supply chain. Supplying over 500 specialty ingredients across human and animal health, pet food, aquaculture, nutraceutical, food technologies, crop technologies, textiles, biofuels, and animal vaccines, we employ 3,500 global employees with operations in 90 countries.

About the role

The R&D Bakery Scientist serves as the technical expert within Kemin Food Technologies' bakery innovation platform, focusing on transforming scientific knowledge into commercially viable customer solutions. This role leads formulation development, ingredient evaluation, experimental design, and bakery application research while partnering closely with Commercial, Marketing, Regulatory, Quality, and Technical Service teams. The ideal candidate possesses both a deep understanding of ingredient functionality and hands-on bakery experience to identify and solve customer challenges in breads, tortillas, flatbreads, snacks, cakes, and related applications. Approximately 60-70% of time will be spent in the lab.

Responsibilities

• Lead research and development projects focused on bakery applications and ingredient functionality.
• Develop, optimize, and validate bakery formulations utilizing enzymes, dough conditioners, mold inhibitors, softeners, emulsifiers, and other specialty ingredients.
• Design and execute laboratory experiments, pilot trials, and production-scale validations.
• Evaluate ingredient interactions and determine the impact of formulations on shelf life, texture, volume, machinability, softness, and quality.
• Analyze experimental data and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
• Manage bakery lab equipment, materials inventory, and related documentation to ensure an organized, safe, and efficient laboratory environment.
• Stay current on emerging bakery technologies, ingredient trends, consumer demands, and scientific advancements.
• Collaborate with Technical Service and Commercial teams to develop solutions for customer challenges.
• Provide technical support for customer presentations, demonstrations, and commercialization activities.
• Prepare technical reports, presentations, application guides, and research documentation.
• Support new product launches and commercialization efforts from concept through market introduction.
• Work closely with Regulatory, Quality, Operations, and Supply Chain teams to ensure successful implementation of new technologies.

Qualifications

• PhD in Food Science, Bakery Science, Food Biochemistry, or related discipline (preferred).
• Master's degree in Food Science, Bakery Science, Grain Science, Food Technology, Food Biotechnology, or related scientific discipline.
• 5+ years of bakery formulation, ingredient development, or bakery R&D experience with bakery ingredients or CPG companies.
• Strong understanding of bakery ingredient functionality and formulation principles.
• Experience with breads, tortillas, flatbreads, cakes, sweet goods, or snack applications.
• Demonstrated ability to design experiments and analyze results.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work both independently and within cross-functional teams.

Preferred Experience

• Experience with enzyme technologies and enzyme-blend development.
• Customer-facing technical support experience.
• Statistical analysis and experimental design expertise.

Benefits

• Competitive Financial Package: Rewarding salary, uncapped bonus opportunities, 401k match program, and generous paid vacation and holidays.
• Health and Wellness Support: Fitness reimbursement for the whole family, access to an on-site fitness center, a restaurant offering seasonal fresh food options, and free fresh fruit in break areas.
• Career Development and Advancement: Opportunities for growth and development throughout your career.
• Continued Learning Opportunities: In-house learning platforms with thousands of training resources (live and online), and tuition reimbursement for external post-secondary pursuits.
• Service Opportunities: Paid time off for service, partnerships with The World Food Programme and Habitat for Humanity, and local community initiatives.