Sr. Scientist

Position Summary:

This role is a technical leader and primary formulator within the Seasonings and Ingredients R&D team at Land O’Lakes, Inc. This Senior Scientist will drive innovation and commercialization of spray-dried dairy powders and seasonings, working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment that demands agility and proactive problem-solving. The position requires strong collaboration with sales teams, direct engagement with customers, and cross-functional alignment to deliver differentiated solutions that meet customer needs. This position is required to work on-site in Arden Hills a minimum of 4 days per week.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead complex product development projects for cheese powders and seasonings, ensuring timely delivery to meet customer expectations.
• Serve as a technical liaison with customers, providing expertise, influencing decisions, and guiding development strategies.
• Apply advanced food science and dairy technology knowledge, including spray drying and ingredient functionality, to create innovative solutions.
• Design and execute robust experimental plans (DOE) to validate formulations and optimize processes.
• Champion technical rigor by documenting findings, sharing insights, and driving continuous improvement in formulation and process design.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing, Sales, Quality, Regulatory, and Manufacturing to ensure seamless commercialization.
• Provide technical leadership in the spray-dried powder space, proactively seeking process improvements and capability building.
• Participate in customer visits and plant trials, representing R&D with professionalism and clarity.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Chemistry, Biochemistry, or related field.
• 6 or more years of experience in food product development or processing, with proven ability to lead projects independently.
• Expertise in dairy systems, spray drying, and cheese powder formulation.
• Strong understanding of product development lifecycle, process optimization, and foundational research principles.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Customer-centric approach, ensuring technical solutions align with business objectives and customer needs.
• Ability to travel 20% of the time.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Graduate degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in Food Science or related discipline.
• Advanced skills in Design of Experiments (DOE), data analysis, and interpretation using statistical tools.
• Strong communication and influencing skills, with experience presenting technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Ability to provide strategic consultation to internal teams and external customers.
• Business acumen to understand R&D’s impact on profitability and customer value.

Travel:

Up to 20%, including customer meetings and plant trials.

Salary range: $91,120 - $136,680 (in most cases, candidates offered employment can expect to be hired at a pay rate near the middle of our salary ranges) 

About Land O'Lakes, Inc.

Join us and be part of a Fortune 250, farmer- and member-owned cooperative that is reimagining the business of food. We have been named a Top Workplace by Indeed and LinkedIn, and to the TIME 100 Most Influential Companies list.

Benefits for most full-time roles include medical, dental, vision, PTO, life & disability insurance, education assistance, a 401k and a variety of well-being resources. Most part-time employees are eligible for prorated PTO, holiday pay, employee development programs, prorated education assistance, and a 401(k).

Land O'Lakes, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) M/F/Vets/Disabled. The company maintains a drug-free workforce, including post-employment substance abuse testing pursuant to a Drug and Alcohol Policy.

Neither Land O’Lakes, nor its search firms, will ever contact you and ask for confidential information over the phone or in email. If you receive a call or email like this, please do not provide the information being requested.