Food Scientist

Posted: 06-Jul-26 | Location: Springdale, Arkansas | Type: Full Time | 2 openings available.

About the role

This position is responsible for developing and commercializing new and improved products and/or processes through guidance from their manager. This covers all stages of product development and process development including writing new product specifications, and ensuring regulatory labeling and food safety requirements are met. Additional responsibilities include developing samples/prototypes of new products, modifying existing products, optimizing existing products, developing specifications for product production labeling, and compiling cost analysis information.

The person in this position will have a strong working knowledge of the scientific methods and is expected to leverage knowledge related to ingredients, product formulation and food processing to support best-in-class development of new, innovative food products. In addition, the person in this role will lead and execute cook validations for products in support of commercialization workstreams. This will include planning, conducting, documenting, and communicating cook validation studies across products, production lines, and fryer platforms to verify food safety, enable optimized cooking procedures, and support consistent restaurant quality.

Responsibilities

• Work with and strongly influence marketing, insights, sales, culinary, FSQA, operations, and purchasing departments, coordinating with suppliers of ingredients, ensuring smooth start-up for new product production processes.
• Modify or optimize existing products, develop specifications for product production labeling, and compile cost analysis information.
• Work multiple development and optimization projects of moderate complexity, independently, from concept through commercialization with guidance from manager. This includes planning, executing experiments, analyzing data, and reporting results.
• Execute the development process with activities that include bench-top development, pilot plant testing, and scale-up production at a federally inspected research facility and final commercialization at full-scale production facility.
• Strong working knowledge of poultry new product development and optimization including battered and breaded products as well as water jet portioning technologies (a plus).
• Help team to identify innovation that is treated as IP that can give Tyson a competitive edge in the industry.
• Analyze data to build product specifications that are process capable.
• Present technical data or concepts to laypersons on their level of understanding.
• Compile cost analysis information and provide to product management.
• Ensure costing structure meets the financial expectations of projects.
• Work on cross-functional teams across the organization for project completion that will ultimately help achieve growth and EBIT strategies.
• Travel to plant production facilities.
• Take on and complete special projects as needed.
• Develop culinary samples/prototypes of new products, modify existing products, optimize existing products, and develop specifications.
• Develop product production labels and compile cost analysis information.
• Work with process development to develop process flow charts for engineering.
• Demonstrate ability and initiative to grow within the organization and develop a personal development plan with your manager.

Requirements

Senior Food Scientist II:

• BS, MS, or PhD in Food Science, Meat Science, Food Engineering, or related field.
• Related degree with minimum of 8 years relevant Research and Development work experience.
• No degree with minimum of 15 years relevant experience.

Senior Food Scientist I:

• BS, MS, or PhD in Food Science, Meat Science, Food Engineering, or related field.
• PhD with minimum of 2 years of relevant experience.
• M.S. with minimum of 3 years of relevant experience.
• B.S. with minimum of 5 years of relevant experience.
• No degree with minimum of 10 years relevant experience.

Food Scientist II:

• BS, MS, or PhD in Food Science, Meat Science, Food Engineering, or related field. Alt. Protein science or equivalent.
• PhD with no experience.
• M.S. with minimum of 2 years of relevant experience.
• B.S. with minimum of 3 years of relevant experience.
• No degree with minimum of 8 years relevant experience.

Food Scientist I:

• BS, MS, or PhD in Food Science, Meat Science, Food Engineering, or related field.
• PhD or M.S with no experience.
• B.S. with minimum of 2 years of relevant experience.
• No degree with minimum of 8 years relevant experience.

Skills

• Good computer skills with ability to fully utilize MS Office products and Tyson systems (or like systems).
• Good verbal and written communication skills, presentation skills required.
• Ability to effectively communicate with cross-functional business partners.
• Strong critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong project management skills.
• Strong numerical skills, understanding of product formulation, food processing, and the Research and Development process.
• Understanding of regulatory labeling and food safety requirements.

Schedule

• Travel: Minimum 25% (12+ trips a year). Travel will be required to accomplish internal and external customer needs, including customer meetings, visiting production facilities for testing and commercialization of new products, process troubleshooting, and other regular business needs.

About Tyson Foods

We're proud of our growing portfolio of protein-centric brands, offering nutritious and delicious options that fit seamlessly into modern lives. Driven by a commitment to feed the world, we're reimagining the journey from farm to table. With a focus on innovation and doing what's right, we're dedicated to making food that not only tastes good but also nourishes the future.