Senior Food Scientist in GERMANTOWN, Wisconsin at Gehl Food & Beverage

Now Hiring: Senior Food Scientist

Salary Range: 100K - 115K
Reports To: Director of R&D

Why join our team?

• Full benefits package – medical, dental, vision & 401(k) match
• Generous PTO & holidays
• Growth opportunities to expand skillsets & enhance career
• Amazing team & culture focused on: Communication | Community | Wellness

Other Benefits & Programs We Offer:

• Tuition reimbursement
• HSA Medical plan option with annual company contribution
• Referral bonus program
• Perks at Work – discounts on shopping, travel & more
• Proven continued business growth for future opportunities

Position Overview

As a Senior Food Scientist, you’ll lead high-impact product development projects from concept through commercialization, solve complex formulation and scale-up challenges, collaborate directly with customers and cross-functional teams, and provide technical leadership within R&D.

What You’ll Do

• Lead formulation of low-acid aseptic dairy beverages, sauces, and nutritional products
• Manage development from bench formulation and pilot trials through scale-up and commercial launch
• Apply aseptic/UHT processing expertise to achieve commercial sterility, manufacturability, and 12–18 month ambient shelf life
• Troubleshoot complex formulation and processing challenges
• Lead customer trials, technical reviews, sensory evaluations, and plant startups
• Identify opportunities for innovation, product improvement, and cost optimization
• Mentor scientists and provide technical leadership across projects
• Partner with Manufacturing, Food Safety, Regulatory, Sales, Marketing, Procurement, Packaging, and other teams

Minimum Requirements

• B.S. in Food Science, Dairy Science, Food Engineering, Chemistry, or related field
• 5–8+ years of product development/commercialization experience
• Demonstrated dairy formulation experience
• Experience with low-acid aseptic, UHT, and/or retort processing
• Strong knowledge of food safety, HACCP, GMPs, and quality standards
• Proven ability to lead complex, cross-functional projects

Preferred

• Master’s degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, or related field
• Hands-on aseptic/high-temperature processing experience
• Experience with shelf-stable dairy beverages, sauces, nutritional/performance beverages, or plant-based alternatives
• Experience mentoring junior scientists and working directly with major retail or foodservice customers