Senior Scientist I - R&D Food Product Developer

Join our mission to lead the future of snacking at Mondelēz International. As a key member of the North America Confections R&D team, you’ll ensure our iconic candy brands continue to delight and captivate consumers. This role focuses on product quality, consistency, and adapting to evolving consumer preferences while navigating production constraints. You’ll collaborate with a fast-paced cross-functional team on innovation, quality improvements, capacity expansions, and sustainability initiatives for brands like Halls, with exposure to over-the-counter drugs and dietary supplements. This is an opportunity to own the end-to-end development and launch process, driving real impact.

Responsibilities

• Plan, lead, and coordinate technical projects aligned with R&D, regulatory, marketing, and manufacturing requirements.
• Communicate project status, risks, and outcomes effectively across teams.
• Plan, lead, and execute pilot plant and factory trials in compliance with good manufacturing practices (GMP) and HACCP requirements.
• Coordinate development activities, including product shelf-life testing, designing for quality, and consumer test preparation.
• Use digital simulation models to interpret consumer insights and commercial data, guiding product development decisions.
• Create and maintain consumer-led product specifications.
• Manage stakeholders and influence decisions based on data analysis and interpretation.
• Deliver projects within the North America Confections portfolio (e.g., Halls, Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish), including product optimization, capacity expansion, quality improvements, and margin management.
• Ensure compliance with documentation, shelf-life, regulatory (NA, FTO/IP), and confidentiality requirements by leveraging internal experts and partners.
• Drive excellence in project management by developing timelines, risk assessments, and contingency plans.
• Analyze experimental results and translate them into actionable recommendations with minimal guidance.
• Apply strong knowledge of the commercialization process to achieve project objectives.
• Identify and utilize necessary resources to ensure timely project delivery.
• Understand the functional characteristics of ingredients, packaging materials, and process unit operations, and their impact on finished products to meet consumer expectations.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years of experience, preferably in the food industry.
• Strong technical foundation and a high level of technical curiosity.
• Ability to develop and drive technical projects with scientific rigor, including testing, data analysis, and recommendation development.
• Demonstrated ability to handle multiple projects, prioritize tasks, and manage complexity from bench-top to execution.
• Experience participating in cross-functional teams to identify and resolve technical issues.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Proven leadership in supporting R&D and cross-functional project teams.
• Ability to proactively identify technical or business problems and implement solutions.
• Strong focus on consumer-centricity in all aspects of work.
• Experience coaching and mentoring others.

Qualifications

• BS in Food Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.

Schedule

• Full-time role based in East Hanover, NJ.
• In-office expectations: 3–5 days per week.
• Travel up to 30%, including locations in Canada, the U.S., Turkey, and Mexico.

Pay

• Base salary range: $86,900 to $119,515, depending on experience, skills, education, and location.
• Eligible for a highly competitive bonus program with potential for overachievement based on performance and company results.

Benefits

• Health insurance, wellness, and family support programs.
• Life and disability insurance.
• Retirement savings plans.
• Paid leave programs, including holidays and vacation time.
• Education-related programs.
• Many benefits are subsidized or fully paid for by the company, with some subject to eligibility requirements.

No relocation support is available for this position.