MGP Ingredients is a leading supplier of premium distilled spirits and food ingredient solutions. Its Distilling Solutions segment provides bourbons, whiskeys, ryes, gins, and vodkas to craft and multinational brands. MGP's own Branded Spirts business is growing following the 2021 acquisition of Luxco, a top spirits producer, bottler, supplier, and importer as well as the 2023 acquisition of Penelope Bourbon, known for its wide range of uniquely blended expressions. Ingredient Solutions delivers nutritional, functional wheat- and pea-based ingredients aligned with consumer trends. The company operates in locations across the Midwestern U.S., and overseas in Northern Ireland and Mexico.
THE OPPORTUNITY:
We are seeking a Food Scientist, Ingredient Technology & Innovation, to provide scientific, technical, and strategic leadership across ingredient innovation, process technology, commercialization, analytical sciences, and customer support initiatives.
This role leads the development and optimization of wheat proteins, wheat starches, resistant starches, and extrusion-based ingredient technologies from concept through commercialization. This position serves as a technical subject matter expert across the Ingredient Solutions organization, supporting R&D, Operations, Quality, Commercial, Marketing, and external customers.
This role focuses on advancing ingredient innovation, product and process development, analytical method development and execution, product commercialization, technical services, customer collaboration, manufacturing support, and strategic business initiatives. The Principal Scientist drives scientific excellence while ensuring successful execution of innovation projects, technology transfer, product launches, and continuous improvement across ingredient platforms.
WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING:
Ingredient Innovation & Technology
- Lead innovation and development initiatives for wheat protein isolates, wheat starches, resistant wheat starches, modified proteins, modified starches, extruded products, and emerging ingredient technologies.
- Design and execute research programs focused on ingredient functionality, structure-function relationships, and performance optimization.
- Evaluate and implement processing technologies, ingredient platforms, and scientific approaches to create value-added ingredient solutions.
- Lead feasibility assessments, proof-of-concept studies, and commercialization strategies for new technologies.
- Support strategic growth initiatives through scientific leadership and innovation planning.
Product Development & Commercialization
- Lead and execute product development projects from concept through commercialization across multiple ingredient categories.
- Develop formulations, technical specifications, manufacturing parameters, and commercialization plans for new products.
- Lead, plan, and conduct pilot and commercial-scale production trials.
- Conduct ingredient functionality studies
- Support application development activities with novel innovation technologies.
- Collaborate with commercial team to translate customer needs into innovative ingredient solutions and commercialized products.
Process Technology, Scale-Up & Manufacturing Support
- Lead process optimization, scale-up, and commercialization activities for extruded ingredient manufacturing platforms.
- Lead plant trials, commissioning activities, troubleshooting processes, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Partner with operations to improve extruded product process, yield, quality, and product consistency.
- Provide technical support for new product introductions and process modifications.
- Lead cross-functional technology transfer activities between R&D, Quality, Operations, and Commercial.
- Lead extrusion co-manufacturing projects, strategic partnerships, and special business initiatives.
Analytical Sciences, Method Development & Quality Systems
- Lead commissioning, qualifications, and implementation of laboratory analytical equipment.
- Develop, validate, and maintain analytical methods, SOPs, testing protocols, and laboratory best practices.
- Maintain scientific rigor and consistency across laboratory operations and testing programs.
- Establish product specifications, quality standards, and in-process quality control parameters for new extrusion innovation.
- Develop product specifications, technical documents, nutritional data, and supporting commercialization documentation.
- Lead nutritional testing and label creation for product commercialization
Cross-Functional Technical Leadership
- Provide technical leadership across R&D, operations, and commercial teams.
- Support customer technical meetings and innovation discussions.
- Provide technical support to manufacturing, quality, and supply chain teams.
- Work closely with plant operations to ensure successful product transfer from R&D to commercial production.
Documentation, Knowledge Management and IP
- Maintain high standards of scientific documentation and technical knowledge management.
- Develop and maintain process documentation for extrusion technologies.
- Support regulatory, quality, and customer documentation requirements.
- Support intellectual property development and patent filings.
- Prepare technical reports, presentations, and internal documentation.
Strategic Projects, Special Assignments, and Industry Engagement
- Lead additional technical initiatives and strategic projects as assigned by the Vice President of Ingredient Solutions R&D.
- Summarize and analyze specific research for application where appropriate.
- Support strategic technology initiatives, lead special R&D projects aligned with business priorities, and evaluate new processing technologies and innovation opportunities.
- Support marketing initiatives through development of technical collateral, presentations, and trade show content.
- Participate in annual conferences, industry events, and scientific engagement.
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:
- Masters in Food Science, Grain Science, Cereal Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
- Training in extrusion and ingredient process technology, food safety, plant trials, experimental design, statistical analysis, and applicable manufacturing or R&D safety requirements preferred.5+ years of experience in extrusion technology, food ingredient development, and process scale-up.
- Demonstrated expertise in extrusion-based processing and commercialization of ingredient systems.
- Expertise in protein chemistry, ingredient functionality, and food ingredient innovation.
- Experience leading plant trials, product development, and scale-up activities.
- Experience designing extrusion parameters, conditions, screw profiles, dies, milling, and formulations to make desired products or troubleshoot issues.
- Experience making diverse grain-based products.
- Demonstrates deep expertise in extrusion process technology, including twin-screw and single-screw extrusion systems, ingredient functionality, and protein & starch chemistry.
- Applies strong knowledge of screw design, extrusion process optimization, texturized vegetable proteins, cereal-based extrusion, ingredient functionality, and structure-function relationships.
- Leads product and process development with scientific rigor, innovation mindset, and strong documentation practices.
- Uses experimental design (DOE), statistical analysis, and process scale-up knowledge from bench to commercial manufacturing.
- Collaborates effectively with manufacturing, quality, supply chain, Sales, Marketing, and customer-facing technical teams.
- Communicates complex technical information clearly and influences functional partners and clients to foster collaboration.
- Exceptional project management and organization skills.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to influence cross-functional teams without direct authority.
- Experience interacting with executive leadership, customers, and industry stakeholders.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Includes frequently Includes frequently used office equipment, computer software programs, manuals, books, or other written resources, hand tools, power tools, two-way radios, and other tools/equipment/resources; Includes use of sanitation equipment and lab/field equipment; Microsoft Excel, Word and Outlook, SAP, copier/printer. As well as: Twin-screw extruder, mixer, oven, tumbler, packaging machine, milling equipment, analytical equipment including muffle furnace, vacuum oven, water bath, pH meter, Kjeldahl (digestion, distillation, titration), soxhlet extractor, texture analyzer, spectrophotometer, microscope, Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA), analytical scales, emulsifier, centrifuge, drying oven, and others as needed.
If you require a reasonable accommodation in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to Caitlin Zbikowski, Talent Manager @ c.zbikowski@mgpi.com.
If the above speaks to you, we’re excited to learn more about you! At MGP, we know that our people are our greatest strength. With different perspectives and unique ways of thinking, our employees are as varied as our products. We believe that inclusivity strengthens the organization and champions a company culture that is evolving to reflect all of us. Culture results from our behaviors, our personal commitment, our curiosity, how we collaborate, and the ways we courageously share our perspectives and expect others to do the same. Each of us can make a difference by fostering thinking and actions that empower us to connect, belong and grow together.
Compensation is competitive and is commensurate with experience. MGP offers exceptional medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, life insurance, 401(k) Match and PTO.
All successful candidates for this position will be required to submit to a criminal background check and drug test.