Staff Meat Scientist

Key Responsibilities

• Blend Formulation & Parameter Definition
• Define the controlling formula parameters for all ground and comminuted meat blends.
• Build and maintain least-cost formulation models that optimize across available trim streams (chemical lean) while holding finished-product specifications constant.
• Establish acceptable substitution ranges and blend tolerances so that raw-material variability can be absorbed without compromising finished-product specification.
• Translate target eating quality and label requirements into quantitative blend specifications.
• Yield, Cost & Performance Standardization
• Define, measure, and standardize formulation yields — raw-to-cook yield, purge, shrink, and moisture/fat loss.
• Partner with the Industrialization team to quantify the cost and yield impact of formulation decisions, providing Procurement with the technical basis for trim-buying and blend-economic trade-offs.
• Identify the "anchor points" that allow formulation and yield performance to be monitored as standing KPIs.
• Scale-Up & Equipment Validation
• Lead bench and pilot-plant formulation work and own the transfer of validated formulas to full-scale production.
• Validate that formulas perform reproducibly on existing and newly installed equipment (grinders, mixers/blenders, emulsion mills, formers).
• Diagnose formulation- and equipment-driven sources of yield loss, texture defects, or quality variance on the production floor, and define corrective specifications.
• Support the technical evaluation of capital equipment by tying vendor performance and demonstrated rates to formulation and yield outcomes.
• Cross-Functional & Technical Support
• Provide formulation inputs for new-product development and the Stage Gate process, ensuring new blends are sourceable, manufacturable, and cost-validated.
• Partner with FSQA and R&D so that blend specifications align with quality, regulatory, and labeling requirements.
• Document all formula parameters, tolerances, and validation results so that blend knowledge resides in controlled specifications.

  Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Meat Science, Animal Science, Food Science, or a closely related discipline (advanced degree a plus).
  • Demonstrated hands-on R&D bench and pilot-plant formulation experience with ground or comminuted meat products.
  • Working knowledge of meat blend composition and functionality — chemical lean and fat analysis, least-cost blending, bind/texture, water-holding capacity, pH, and cook yield.
  • Direct experience with plant-floor scale-up and equipment validation — taking a formula from bench to full production and confirming reproducibility on processing equipment.
  • Quantitative orientation: comfort building and interpreting formulation, yield, and cost models.
  • Proven experience of successfully collaborating across multiple functions, especially R&D, FSQA, Procurement, Production and Finance.
  • PREFERRED:
  • USDA/FSIS regulatory and labeling fluency (standards of identity, fat/lean labeling, species declaration).
  • Familiarity with raw-material markets and trim grading as they relate to blend economics.
  • Experience standardizing formulation and yield metrics across multiple facilities or equipment configurations.
  • Sensory evaluation experience for meat products.

  Opportunities

  • Medical, Dental, Vision coverage.
  • Pet Insurance.
  • Wellness Plan and Gym Reimbursement.
  • Tuition Reimbursement.
  • College Scholarship for dependents.
  • Employee Bonus Program.
  • 401(k) Company Match.
  • Competitive Paid Time Off.
  • Relocation Assistance.
  • Employee Bonus Referral Program.
  • Community Impact Opportunities.
  • Team Events and Seasonal Workplace Gatherings.