Food and Dairy Application Scientist

About the Job

A hands on product development and research position. The individual will understand the emerging research, industry trends and ingredient functionality to conduct designed experiments in the lab and pilot plant.

Percent travel:10-20%

Job accountabilities:

• Project Leadership & Technical Expertise
  • Plays a pivotal role in advancing the Polylactose and other projects milestone goals and supporting PI.
  • Serves as a subject matter expert in dairy and food applications, actively leading technical discussions with the PI and clients, and guiding project direction through scientific insight.
  • Collaborates with potential commercial client teams to bridge research with practical applications, fostering innovation through customer engagement and cross-functional partnerships.
• Technical Leadership & Communication
  • Independently develops and delivers compelling technical presentations, highlighting new processing methods and product innovations to support project goals.
  • Clearly articulate Dairy Nutri Sol's unique value proposition to internal and external stakeholders, including at trade shows, industry forums, and scientific symposia.
  • Translates complex scientific data (functional, nutritional, toxicological) into practical applications tailored for diverse audiences, from academic peers to commercial partners.
• Client Engagement & Problem Solving
  • Partners closely with commercial partners/ clients to identify pain points and deliver customized, innovative solutions.
  • Leads technical discussions with clients and actively participates in UMN and external cross-functional teams to address complex opportunities and respond to RFPs.
  • Identifies and cultivates new customers and business opportunities to expand the project's reach and commercial relevance.
• Strategic Collaboration
  • Works with internal teams (R&D, Manufacturing, Nutrition group) to influence commercial strategy, align priorities, and maximize revenue opportunities.
  • Drives alignment among stakeholders to ensure efficient management and timely completion of customer opportunities.
  • Engages industry partners (e.g. Agropur, Buhler, Mondelez, and Wells) to validate project relevance and strengthen commercialization pathways.
• Innovation & Product Development
  • Supports and leads product development activities to move Polylactose concepts toward commercialization.
  • Provides feedback to R&D based on customer interactions, identifying gaps and opportunities for improvement.
  • Contributes to the innovation pipeline by suggesting new product ideas, product enhancements, and rationalization strategies.
• Regulatory & Safety Leadership
  • Contributes to the preparation of regulatory dossiers, including GRAS and FDA submissions, by compiling scientific data and supporting safety, and history-of-use documentation.
  • Ensures the project's progress aligns with compliance requirements to facilitate smooth approval and future commercialization.
• Commercialization Pathways
  • Bridges early-stage lab research with scale-up and pilot plant activities, ensuring processes and formulations are commercially viable.
  • Identifies market entry strategies and potential end-use applications for Polylactose in food, beverage, and nutrition sectors.
• Mentorship & Capacity Building
  • Mentors graduate students and early-career scientists, strengthening project capacity and fostering technical expertise within the team.
  • Provides industry-focused training and knowledge transfer to help partners and clients adopt new technologies.

Required

• MS degree in Dairy Science, Food Science, Microbiology or related disciplines. A minimum of 3 years research and product development experience in application labs, CPG companies or food ingredient companies.

Preferred:
Knowledge & Skill Requirements

• Ability to communicate effectively (verbal and written). A technical publication history is desirable.
• Good cross-functional leadership skills and demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and ability to work independently or in a team environment.
• Broad understanding of new product innovation from research concept to commercialization.
• Good working knowledge of experimental design and product development protocols (including…