R&D Scientist

Job Title: R&D Scientist                

Department: R&D/Innovation

Job Classification: Staff

Reports to: R&D Director

Location(s): Hilbert, WI

Job Summary:

The R&D Scientist collaborates cross-functionally with R&D/Innovation, Sales, Procurement, Finance, and Quality Assurance to drive product development, functionality, and commercial readiness. Key responsibilities include leading product optimization initiatives, conducting material risk assessments, mentoring team members, and managing projects with a strong focus on ROI, operational efficiency, and successful commercialization. The Scientist designs and executes experiments, evaluates emerging technologies, and supports sensory analysis and shelf-life studies to ensure product quality and performance. Leveraging strong planning, technical, and project management skills, this role effectively coordinates activities from concept through production implementation. Additionally, the R&D Scientist may directly supervise Technologists and Technicians, providing leadership, coaching, performance management, and professional development support to foster a high-performing team.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provides strong expertise and technical leadership on new product development, functionality in end products, and commercializing them in collaboration within R&D/Innovation, and cross-collaboration with commercial (sales), procurement, finance, and quality assurance departments.
• Supervises and coaches Technologists and Technicians
• Conducts optimization projects based on sound understanding and knowledge of OINA capabilities
• Mentors and upskill others on technical leadership, project management, material risk assessment
• Initiates and drives projects, focusing on ROI, efficiency to address short-term and long-term business needs & support other projects as needed
• Develops and commercializes high quality, innovative, efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable cheese solutions
• Contributes to determine new approaches within existing business and to identify new business opportunities
• Conducts pilot and production plant experiments to test and develop new products and processes.
• As necessary, conducts laboratory evaluations on composition and functionality of products and ingredients
• Investigates new technologies for producing safe, high quality food products
• Participates in on-going sensory/organoleptic analyses and shelf-life studies of Ornua products as required 
• Uses planning and organization, time management, and project management skills to deliver results
• Establishes control limits for production items and manages process/formulation changes.
• All other responsibilities as assigned

Required Skills and Abilities:

• Self-motivated aptitude with a progressive approach and a sense of urgency.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to work cooperatively in a team environment.
• Adept to transfer scientific knowledge to operational and practical applications.
• Excellent verbal/written communication skills
• Excellent analytical, and organizational skills
• Write professional reports, prepare presentations and other business correspondence
• Work as a member of a team
• Excellent people skills with ability to work with individuals from different disciplines
• Proficient computer skills.
• Able to manage time effectively to meet deadlines and adjust appropriately to changes in priorities. 
• Ability to travel 25% of their time to other OINA locations, customer sites and industry events  
• Willing and able to taste and conduct sensory analysis on a variety of dairy and nondairy food products

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Food, Dairy, or related scientific field with at least 5 years of industrial experience or advanced degree (MS/PhD) in closely related scientific field with at least 3 years of experience and/or acquired knowledge and experience in the field of dairy ingredients and non-dairy ingredients and their quality, functionality and interactions within cheese matrix.
• Experienced in developing standardized/non-standardized processed cheese or imitation cheese
• Experience working in application lab, pilot plant systems and with laboratory instrumentation.
• Experience working in Food industry - B2B product development, formulation, and commercialization of cheese/dairy/food products
• Familiarity with FDA Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) cheese standards, and dairy products guidelines, definitions, nutritional and labeling claims.
• Experience or familiarity working with starch systems, protein matrices and/or plant-based cheese
• Lean Six Sigma experience/certification or likewise preferred
• Culinary experience designing custom applications with custom cheese ingredients will be a plus
• Working knowledge of sensory science and texture analysis techniques