Senior Scientist - Cultured Dairy Products & Applications
About the role
Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries. We are seeking a Senior Scientist – Cultured Dairy Products & Applications to join our Food Dairy business.
Responsibilities
Lead development of cultured dairy applications showcasing Kerry’s technology portfolio and optimization of existing formulations to support customer briefs and strategic EUM priorities.
Translate market insights and consumer data into differentiated, high-performing product concepts aligned to customer needs.
Benchmark competitive technologies and products and ensure internal prototypes meet or exceed industry performance standards.
Develop and execute technical plans that balance cost, quality, functionality, and manufacturing feasibility.
Create cost effective formulations, batching instructions, and process flow diagrams with a strong understanding of dairy processing unit operations and their impact on texture, flavor, and stability.
Lead pilot plant trials, factory scaleups, and commercialization in collaboration with Kerry manufacturing sites and customer production teams.
Provide expert troubleshooting support on cultured dairy manufacturing issues—including fermentation dynamics, culture performance, process deviations, ingredient interactions, and post-fermentation handling.
Serve as the primary technical resource for customers, delivering formulation support, processing recommendations, and rapid issue resolution throughout the commercialization cycle.
Conduct onsite and virtual technical sessions, including processing audits, product assessments, root-cause analyses, and optimization workshops.
Record trial procedures, observations, and results to drive data-informed decision making.
Lead sensory reviews, product evaluations, and shelf-life studies, communicating clear technical conclusions and improvement paths.
Identify technical risks, propose mitigation strategies, and maintain robust documentation to ensure repeatability and knowledge transfer.
Qualifications and skills
BS in Food Science, Dairy Science, Dairy Chemistry, Food Microbiology or related field with 8+ years relevant experience, or MS/PhD with 5+ years preferred.
Deep technical knowledge of cultured dairy products, including fermentation science, dairy biochemistry, ingredient functionality, and process interactions.
Proven ability to apply advanced scientific knowledge to solve complex technical and processing challenges.
Strong project leadership with demonstrated success commercializing new products and delivering customer-focused solutions.
Customer-centric mindset with the ability to anticipate needs, influence key stakeholders, and translate technical outcomes into business value.
Experience with experimental design, statistical analysis, and technical reporting.
Familiarity with food safety, regulatory frameworks, and quality systems relevant to cultured dairy manufacturing.
Strong understanding of processing equipment used in fermentation, heat treatment, homogenization, and cultured dairy packaging lines.
Pay
The typical hiring range for this role is $63,000 - 116,900.00 and is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, location, etc.
Benefits
In addition to your pay, Kerry offers a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase, and retirement contribution (all benefits and incentives are subject to eligibility requirements).