Food Scientist, Protein

Cargill is a family company committed to providing food and agricultural solutions to nourish the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way. We sit at the heart of the supply chain, partnering with producers and customers to source, make and deliver products that are vital for living. By providing customers with life’s essentials, we enable businesses to grow, communities to prosper, and consumers to live well. This position is in our Food Enterprise where we are committed to serving food manufacturers, food service customers, and retailers with a complete range of innovative ingredients and branded products. Our portfolio includes poultry, beef, egg, alternative protein, salt, oils, starches, sweeteners, cocoa and chocolate.

About the role

The Food Scientist, Protein supports the development, improvement, and commercialization of Ground Beef and Case Ready products within Cargill’s Beef business. This role applies food science and processing expertise to deliver products that meet customer needs, manufacturing requirements, and quality and regulatory standards. Working with cross-functional partners, the Food Scientist helps bring new products to market, improve existing products, and support manufacturing execution—contributing to product performance, operational efficiency, and business growth.

Responsibilities

• Support new product development and product improvements for Ground Beef and Case Ready products, owning projects or defined workstreams from concept through commercialization.
• Develop and evaluate formulations, processes, and product specifications to meet customer, quality, regulatory, and operational requirements.
• Plan and execute product testing and trials; analyze results and make clear technical recommendations.
• Partner with Sales, Business Management, Marketing, Operations, Food Safety & Quality, and Regulatory teams to translate business and customer needs into technical solutions.
• Support plant trials, scale-up, and implementation by troubleshooting issues and applying process improvements.
• Communicate project status, risks, and technical options effectively to cross-functional partners and leadership.
• Stay current on relevant food science, processing, and ingredient knowledge and apply learning to business needs.
• Seek feedback and guidance to strengthen technical skills, project execution, and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent experience
• Experience working in a manufacturing or lab environment
• Minimum of two years of related work experience
• Ability to travel up to 30%

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree or other post-secondary degree
• Strategic thinker with ability to build effective plans to support strategic initiatives
• Tech-savvy and comfortable with evolving business-critical technology
• Experience working successfully in a matrixed organization
• Experience progressing projects through a phased innovation approach