Senior Scientist Dough

About the role

Pizza Hut is seeking a Senior Food Scientist to drive product innovation, formulation, and continuous improvement initiatives across its diverse food product portfolio, with a focus on dough.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate globally and cross-functionally with supply chain, quality, procurement, operations, and commercial teams to develop and optimize products that meet consumer needs, quality standards, and cost objectives.
• Lead product development and reformulation initiatives from concept through commercialization.
• Develop and optimize formulations, ingredients, and manufacturing processes to enhance product quality, consistency, shelf life, cost efficiency, and consumer experience.
• Conduct bench trials, plant trials, sensory evaluations, and product validations.
• Partner with cross-functional teams including Quality Assurance, Operations, Supply Chain, and Marketing to ensure successful product launches and continuous improvement.
• Analyze product performance, market trends, and competitor products to identify innovation opportunities.
• Support scale-up activities and ensure products are manufacturable within operational capabilities.
• Maintain accurate documentation related to formulations, specifications, testing, and process validations.
• Collaborate with suppliers to evaluate ingredients, troubleshoot challenges, and identify alternative solutions when needed.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, regulatory, and quality standards throughout all stages of development.
• Manage project timelines and communicate progress effectively with key stakeholders.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field with a preferred concentration in wheat/grains/bakery science.
• 5+ years of experience in product development, R&D, or food manufacturing environments.
• Experience within large-scale global QSR or CPG environments.
• Experience working with fresh and frozen doughs is a plus.
• Strong understanding of food formulation, ingredient functionality, food processing, and quality systems.
• Exposure to process optimization, commercialization, and sensory science, and ability to proactively and positively interface with various cross-functional and technical teams.
• Proactive, reliable, and self-motivated personality.
• Passion for food innovation and emerging industry trends.
• Excellent verbal and written communication and collaboration skills.
• Strong project management, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Well-organized, able to capture work details and highlight unexpected results.
• Flexibility to work various hours and travel up to 30% as required.

Qualifications

• Ability to manage a wide variety of products across key ingredient categories - primarily Dough, but could extend to other ingredient categories - Cheese, Sauce, Proteins, Vegetables.
• Ability to manage multiple projects across the globe to support different regional teams of the workgroup, manage time and expectations for group needs.
• Effectively communicate conflict of requests.
• Be able to manage, prioritize, and maintain strong working relationships across different functions and geographies.

Skills

• Proactive and creative problem-solving skills.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Knowledge of food safety, regulatory, and quality standards.

Benefits

This position offers a competitive salary range of $99,200 to $116,700 annually, with potential for bonuses. Other benefits may include health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off.

Pay

$99,200 to $116,700 annually + bonus eligibility.

Schedule

Flexible schedule to accommodate various hours and travel requirements.