Principal Sensory Scientist

About the role

Rich Products is seeking a Principal Sensory Scientist to join the Global Innovation Center of Excellence (COE) within the Research, Innovation, and Compliance (RIC) organization. This role serves as a trusted advisor and recognized expert in consumer and sensory science, driving consumer-centric innovation and renovation processes.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted advisor and recognized consumer and sensory expert to lead complex, strategic projects in a US and global context that have broad-based implications across R&D, the business, and across categories.
• Cultivate foundational knowledge to accelerate and deepen understanding of ingredients, processes, products, packaging, and consumers.
• Utilize mastery of foundational and advanced design of experiment techniques and their application to escalate Innovation and Renovation impact, efficiency, and agility.
• Utilize advanced market research approaches as decision tools to enhance innovation/renovation products that are differentiated in the marketplace.
• Design Consumer Research Framework for Core, Adjacent, and Transformational innovation opportunities and execute consumer and sensory research that closes the knowledge gap of our innovation opportunities, challenges, markets, consumers, products, and processes.
• Build and enhance functional capabilities and ensure cross-functional execution of global consumer-centric sensory programs. Lead the implementation of these programs across all research and development & manufacturing sites, local and global.
• Ensure mastery and full utilization of internal sensory discrimination panels. Support development of descriptive analysis panels and advance validation procedures. Develop panel performance KPIs to ensure the highest level of integrity and results are obtained through their use.
• Frequently mentor associates within sensory and R&D teams (i.e., international, joint ventures) and conduct training to develop and enhance their technical knowledge and expertise.
• Drive cross-functional collaboration with RIC CoEs, Marketing, Insights, Finance, and Supply Chain to ensure technical feasibility and market relevance for consumer platforms. Leverage financial acumen to ensure cost-effectiveness is built into product design and ROCS.
• Create and recommend Sensory IP strategy and roadmap for data to develop LLM/AI modeling capabilities.
• Represent the company with outside vendors, suppliers, universities, associations, and governmental agencies. Maintain confidentiality of proprietary information.
• Perform related responsibilities, as needed, to support Rich Products Corporation's business objectives.

Requirements

• University graduate with a MS or PhD in food science, sensory evaluation, sensory science, psychology, consumer science, marketing research, nutrition, or statistics required.
• Bachelor’s degree with 10+ years of industrial/applied research experience.
• Master’s degree with 8+ years of industrial/applied research experience.
• Ph.D. with 7+ years of industrial/applied research experience.
• Subject matter expert in consumer, sensory, and market research techniques applied across the organization- from early ideation to post-launch assessment, in business and R&D contexts.
• Expert knowledge of and research experience in sensory perception including: discrimination testing, descriptive analysis (including temporal methods), consumer methods (qualitative and quantitative), methods development & design thinking, statistics (Univariate, Multivariate, etc.), design of experiments, panel recruitment and maintenance, panelists validation, training and motivation, external agency management, and application of sensory techniques in quality, QA, and compliance.
• Strong track record of innovation within consumer-packaged goods and foodservice within the food industry.
• Ability to drive organizational change and foster a culture of innovation.
• Senior-level sensory leadership within R&D innovation teams.
• Strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation abilities.
• Experience working with global and remote teams.
• Strong business results orientation with a focus on measurable impact.
• Expertise with digital Sensory and Market research tools (Compusense, Recollective, Suzy), as well as statistical analysis software (Minitab, R, SAS, etc.).

Qualifications

• University graduate with a MS or PhD in food science, sensory evaluation, sensory science, psychology, consumer science, marketing research, nutrition, or statistics required.
• Bachelor’s degree with 10+ years of industrial/applied research experience.
• Master’s degree with 8+ years of industrial/applied research experience.
• Ph.D. with 7+ years of industrial/applied research experience.
• Subject matter expert in consumer, sensory, and market research techniques applied across the organization- from early ideation to post-launch assessment, in business and R&D contexts.
• Expert knowledge of and research experience in sensory perception including: discrimination testing, descriptive analysis (including temporal methods), consumer methods (qualitative and quantitative), methods development & design thinking, statistics (Univariate, Multivariate, etc.), design of experiments, panel recruitment and maintenance, panelists validation, training and motivation, external agency management, and application of sensory techniques in quality, QA, and compliance.
• Strong track record of innovation within consumer-packaged goods and foodservice within the food industry.
• Ability to drive organizational change and foster a culture of innovation.
• Senior-level sensory leadership within R&D innovation teams.
• Strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation abilities.
• Experience working with global and remote teams.
• Strong business results orientation with a focus on measurable impact.
• Expertise with digital Sensory and Market research tools (Compusense, Recollective, Suzy), as well as statistical analysis software (Minitab, R, SAS, etc.).

Skills

• University graduate with a MS or PhD in food science, sensory evaluation, sensory science, psychology, consumer science, marketing research, nutrition, or statistics required.
• Bachelor’s degree with 10+ years of industrial/applied research experience.
• Master’s degree with 8+ years of industrial/applied research experience.
• Ph.D. with 7+ years of industrial/applied research experience.
• Subject matter expert in consumer, sensory, and market research techniques applied across the organization- from early ideation to post-launch assessment, in business and R&D contexts.
• Expert knowledge of and research experience in sensory perception including: discrimination testing, descriptive analysis (including temporal methods), consumer methods (qualitative and quantitative), methods development & design thinking, statistics (Univariate, Multivariate, etc.), design of experiments, panel recruitment and maintenance, panelists validation, training and motivation, external agency management, and application of sensory techniques in quality, QA, and compliance.
• Strong track record of innovation within consumer-packaged goods and foodservice within the food industry.
• Ability to drive organizational change and foster a culture of innovation.
• Senior-level sensory leadership within R&D innovation teams.
• Strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation abilities.
• Experience working with global and remote teams.
• Strong business results orientation with a focus on measurable impact.
• Expertise with digital Sensory and Market research tools (Compusense, Recollective, Suzy), as well as statistical analysis software (Minitab, R, SAS, etc.).

Benefits

Rich Products Corporation offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support employees' health, financial security, and overall well-being. This includes:

• Health insurance options
• Retirement savings plans
• Vacation and sick leave
• Paid parental leave
• Flexible spending accounts
• Employee assistance programs
• Discounted gym memberships
• Company-sponsored wellness programs

Pay

The annual range for this position is $120,996.00 - $181,494.00.

Schedule

This role is based at our WHQ in Buffalo, NY, with expected travel of up to 25% per year.