Highlights
A growing food manufacturing organization is seeking a Research & Development Scientist to support the development of new products, optimization of existing formulations and processes, and identification of cost-saving opportunities. The R&D Scientist will work closely with R&D, Quality, Operations, and Marketing teams while gaining broad exposure to food formulation, packaging development, food safety, process improvement, and new product commercialization.
Numbers & Facts
| Location | Thornton, IL |
| Industry | Staffing/Employment Agencies |
| Salary | $80,000–$100,000 Per Year |
| Company Size | 500 to 999 employees |
| Year Founded | 1969 |
| Website | http://www.sterling-engineering.com |
Description
Title: R&D Specialist (Food Manufacturing)
Location: Thornton, IL
Hire Type: Direct Hire
Compensation: $80-100k
Bonus/ Incentives/ Stock Options: Annual Bonus potential
Benefits: Medical Dental Vision 401k
Must have Skill Set:
- Food Product Development: Hands-on experience developing and improving food products and formulations.
- Manufacturing Scale-Up: Proven experience taking products from laboratory development into plant-level production.
- Laboratory & Data Analysis: Ability to independently execute experiments, evaluate results, and use data to guide development decisions.
- Cross-Functional Problem Solving: Experience partnering with Operations and Quality teams to troubleshoot and improve products and processes.
Overview:
A growing food manufacturing organization is seeking a Research & Development Scientist to support the development of new products, optimization of existing formulations and processes, and identification of cost-saving opportunities. This position will have hands-on involvement throughout the product development lifecycle, from laboratory experimentation and sensory evaluation through commercialization and manufacturing scale-up.
The R&D Scientist will work closely with R&D, Quality, Operations, and Marketing teams while gaining broad exposure to food formulation, packaging development, food safety, process improvement, and new product commercialization.
Job Duties:
- Independently plan and execute laboratory experiments, including product formulation, testing, and sensory evaluations.
- Support new product development from initial concept through commercialization.
- Lead the collection, preparation, and organization of technical documentation required throughout the commercialization process.
- Collect, analyze, and interpret experimental data to support product and process development decisions.
- Maintain accurate laboratory records, formulations, test results, and technical reports.
- Identify opportunities to improve existing products, formulations, processes, and overall product costs.
- Partner with plant Operations and Quality teams to troubleshoot formulation, processing, and production challenges.
- Support product scale-up and transition from laboratory development to full-scale manufacturing.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Food Science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Biology, Materials Science, or a related technical field.
- Minimum 2 years of food product development experience.
- Direct experience supporting or executing new product scale-up within a manufacturing environment.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills with a high level of attention to detail.
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
- Experience with data analysis, formulation, or product development software is a plus.
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information.
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About Company
Sterling Engineering has been a trusted partner for engineering, project management, and staffing solutions for over five decades. We provide exceptional engineering/technical recruitment and engineering project services to clients nationwide:
- Engineering & Technical Recruitment - With our focus on engineering, technical, and IT, Sterling has the in-depth knowledge, industry expertise, and robust employee pipeline it takes to rapidly find talent for even the most difficult to fill positions. Sterling’s extensive recruitment methodology allows us to engage the most talented employees in the marketplace. We offer exciting work and career-building opportunities for our candidates, along with expert support at every step of the process.
- Engineering Project Services – Our experienced, multi-disciplined team of project managers, engineers, and designers, led by licensed Professional Engineers (PE), provide project management, engineering, design, and Commissioning, Qualification, and Validation (CQV) to manufacturing, OEM, and R&D customers. We work on complex, highly technical projects across a number of industry sectors, and our ability to scale and seamlessly integrate at multiple levels of your organization is what differentiates us.
Sterling offers a unique combination of engineering solutions and Best of Staffing level service to help our clients and talent achieve their goals.