Product Development Scientist

About the role

This role develops new beverages and improves existing ones across the SSP portfolio, from lab bench to first production run. The work covers concentrates, syrups, lemonades, juices, coffee, frozen beverages and dry blends (powdered beverage mixes) for foodservice, convenience and private label customers. The scientist works closely with Sales, Quality, Operations, Procurement and plant R&D leads to deliver products that taste right, run well in the plant and meet cost targets.

Responsibilities

• Formulate new beverages, concentrates, syrups and dry blends from concept through commercialization.
• Develop consumer-centered formulas that meet customer specs for flavor, appearance, texture and shelf life.
• Prepare bench samples and lead tastings and sensory evaluations with internal teams and customers.
• Match customer targets and competitive products, and work live with customers in the lab when needed.
• Reformulate existing products to reduce cost while protecting flavor, quality and consumer preference.
• Support MAHA projects, including converting products from artificial to natural colors while matching color, stability and shelf life.
• Support company cost-savings initiatives, including ingredient and flavor cost reduction.
• Evaluate alternate ingredients and suppliers, working with Procurement on samples and pricing.
• Design and run experiments; analyze data and make clear technical recommendations.
• Run shelf-life, stability and accelerated studies, and track results to decision.
• Keep complete, current bench records and formula files in company systems, so any product can be reproduced by another team member.
• Prepare formula and specification documents for new item setup (SAP, NIS/Pimcore) and labeling review.
• Scale formulas from bench to pilot to production, and support first production runs and line trials at SSP plants and co-manufacturers.
• Transfer formulas and specifications to Quality and Operations, and train plant teams