Senior Scientist CD&D Bakery Color - Erlanger, KY

Key Responsibilities

• Design and execute experiments evaluating color performance in bakery and cereal systems (high vs. low moisture, baked vs. extruded, dough vs. coating applications).
• Assess color stability under critical conditions, including water activity and moisture migration, thermal processing (baking, extrusion), ingredient interactions and shelf-life stability, storage conditions and oxidation.
• Evaluate color interactions with ingredients such as flours, sugars, fats, proteins, leavening systems and inclusions.
• Generate actionable technical insights to guide formulation recommendations and optimize performance.
• Act as the go-to expert for bakery and cereal color applications across CD&D and commercial teams.
• Lead troubleshooting for complex challenges, including color degradation under high heat processing, variability due to Maillard browning and base matrix color, and shade consistency across scale-up and production.
• Develop and maintain best practices and application guidelines for internal and external stakeholders.
• Partner directly with customers’ R&D teams to deliver concept-through-commercialization support, particularly in transitioning to natural colors.
• Translate technical findings into clear, concise customer-ready recommendations.
• Support customer engagements, including pilot and plant trials, lab work and technical presentations.
• Enable commercial success through fit-for-purpose color solutions that meet cost, performance and regulatory needs.
• Identify gaps and emerging needs in the bakery & cereal color portfolio (i.e. clean label, heat-stable colors, etc).
• Collaborate with Color and Product Development teams to develop new bakery- and cereal-ready color solutions, enhance stability in demanding conditions, and contribute to innovation pipelines aligned to key trends and customer needs.
• Work closely with internal CD&D, Regulatory, Marketing and Commercial teams to ensure alignment between technical abilities and commercial strategy.
• Contribute to the development of technical training materials and best-practice guides for color use.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or higher in Food Science, Chemistry or related field.
• 5–10+ years in food applications, with strong focus on bakery and/or cereal systems.
• Strong expertise in color application, stability and troubleshooting.
• Experience with natural colors and FD&C replacement strategies strongly preferred.
• Deep knowledge of: Bakery and cereal formulation and processing technologies, color chemistry and stability principles, ingredient interactions in complex, low-moisture systems.
• Hands-on experience with: Bench and pilot-scale baking and/or extrusion systems, analytical and sensory evaluation of color performance.

Key Competencies

• Strong problem-solving and experimental design capability.
• Customer-facing communication skills (executive and technical audiences).
• Ability to translate technical insights into commercial impact.
• Collaborative mindset across global teams.

Success Profile

• Recognized internally and externally as a bakery & cereal color expert.
• Drives high win rates through technically differentiated solutions.
• Accelerates customer conversions to natural colors.
• Demonstrates strong linkage between technical delivery and revenue generation.
• Excited about this role but don’t think you meet every requirement listed? We encourage you to apply anyway.

About ADM

At ADM, we unlock the power of nature to provide access to nutrition worldwide. With industry-advancing innovations, a complete portfolio of ingredients and solutions to meet any taste, and a commitment to sustainability, we give customers an edge in solving the nutritional challenges of today and tomorrow. We’re a global leader in human and animal nutrition and the world’s premier agricultural origination and processing company. Our breadth, depth, insights, facilities and logistical expertise give us unparalleled capabilities to meet needs for food, beverages, health and wellness, and more. From the seed of the idea to the outcome of the solution, we enrich the quality of life the world over.