Scientist (South Holland)

Job Description

The Meat Scientist leads and supports the development, scale‑up, and commercialization of value‑added meat products across foodservice, industrial, and retail channels. This role partners cross‑functionally with R&D, Quality Assurance, Operations, Sales, and customers to deliver compliant, high‑quality, and scalable protein solutions aligned with business and customer needs. The Meat Scientist also serves as a technical owner for assigned products throughout the product lifecycle.

Day to Day

• Develop and refine raw, marinated, and fully cooked meat products through bench‑top formulation and testing
• Execute and support pilot, plant, and commercial‑scale trials, including preparation, on‑site support, and post‑trial evaluation
• Partner with Operations to scale products from bench to plant while optimizing yields, efficiency, and consistency
• Analyze formulation, process performance, yields, and costs; recommend improvements
• Support commercialization efforts, first production runs, and customer evaluations
• Provide technical support to Sales for customer presentations, troubleshooting, and product modifications
• Collaborate with QA to ensure food safety, regulatory compliance, shelf life, and product specifications
• Maintain product specifications, SOPs, labels, and technical documentation within PLM systems
• Communicate project updates and trial outcomes to cross‑functional stakeholders

Required Skills & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Meat Science, Food Science, Food Process Engineering, or related field
• 3–5 years of food or meat product development experience (or 2+ years with an advanced degree)
• Hands‑on experience with meat product formulation and development
• Experience supporting process development, scale‑up, and manufacturing transitions
• Knowledge of food processing technologies, microbiology, and shelf‑life control
• Working knowledge of USDA and FDA regulations
• Ability to translate formulations into manufacturable, operationally viable processes
• Strong cross‑functional collaboration and project execution skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects independently in a fast‑paced environment
• Comfortable working in manufacturing environments and supporting plant trials

Nice to Have Skills & Experience

• Meat manufacturing experience in a USDA‑regulated facility
• Experience supporting cost‑reduction and yield‑improvement initiatives
• Lean / Six Sigma certification
• Bilingual (English / Spanish)
• Strong technical writing and documentation skills
• Experience serving as technical owner for products post‑commercialization

Compensation:

$40/hr to $52/hr.

Exact compensation may vary based on several factors, including skills, experience, and education.

Employees in this role will enjoy a comprehensive benefits package starting on day one of

employment, including options for medical, dental, and vision insurance. Eligibility to enroll in

the 401(k) retirement plan begins after 90 days of employment. Additionally, employees in this

role will have access to paid sick leave and other paid time off benefits as required under the

applicable law of the worksite location.