Senior Scientist, Product Development
At Horizon Organic, we’re growing a culture of passionate people driven to do good for the horizon we all share. We’re building the tomorrow we want to see. Every single day.
Joining our team means being part of a dynamic environment where your skills are valued, and your contributions make a real difference. We offer diverse opportunities for career growth and development. Embark on a rewarding journey with us in shaping the future of organic dairy!
Two generations of families—and counting—have grown up on Horizon Organic® milk. From the start, as the leading organic milk producer in the U.S., Horizon has been committed to delivering innovative, nourishing dairy that growing families can rely on. In 2023, Horizon Organic became a brand of Platinum Equity. Today, Horizon works with more than 500 farmers across the U.S. to bring high-quality, certified organic milk to consumers. For more information on Horizon’s full portfolio of organic dairy products, visit Horizon.com.
About the Job:
We are currently looking to hire a Senior Scientist, Product Development!
Reporting to the Research & Development Sr. Director, this position manages projects and product development in the R&D team. The incumbent is responsible for leading and managing a portfolio of product development projects with a focus on Organic Dairy products that include Yogurt, Milk (ESL & UHT), cultured dairy products, and other products in support of the business.
This is a hybrid position with an expectation of 3 days per week onsite in Broomfield, CO. Overnight travel required up to 25% of the time.
In this role, you will be responsible for:
Provide technical expertise in dairy/food science and product development to assigned business teams.
Own the commercialization of products from ideation through scale up and retail launch. Collaborate with, and provide technical product leadership to, cross-functional teams including but not limited to Marketing, Sales, Business Development, Operations, Finance, Engineering, and Quality Assurance.
Facilitate and foster the ideation of possible new products, line extension, and/or product reformulations with an emphasis on establishing points of difference versus competitors, promotion of nutrition/health/wellness, food safety/quality, creativity, and passion for food.
Plan, execute, and manage the development of prototypes in lab, pilot plant and at production facilities according to STAGE GATE PROCESS methodology. Maintain technical and experimental documentation.
Build vendor relationships to secure and source the necessary ingredients that align with prevailing company standards. Evaluate new suppliers and/or ingredients.
Facilitate sensory evaluations and consumer taste panels. Utilize consumer insights and feedback to improve product formulation.
Ensure all developed products meet internal and external guidelines for nutrition, regulatory affairs, and food labeling.
Provide oral and written progress updates to stakeholders and business leaders. Must be able to clearly articulate technical product information in a format that is understandable to non-technical audiences.
All other duties as assigned.
The base compensation range for this position is $120,000 - $145,000 commensurate with experience.
About You:
Competencies and Skills:
- Demonstrated strong technical know-how in Dairy systems.
- Showcased product development capabilities with successful in-market products that demonstrate meaningful points of difference and deliver against consumer expectations.
- Leverage sensory and consumer validation tools to develop great tasting foods and beverages.
- Aware of consumer trends in ingredients and nutrition.
- Strong knowledge of food safety, HACCP, Organic product and quality regulations and programs.
- Ability to conduct experimentations to evaluate different ingredients and processes using statistical concepts such as DOE.
- Passionate about creating, rapid prototyping, development, and commercialization of programs.
- Analytical and problem-solving skills are a must.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Solid planning, organizational, and time management skills.
- Strong project management skills and proven ability to work with cross-functional teams.
- Ability and passion to share knowledge and mentor others.
- Attention to detail and ability to multi-task multiple projects and initiatives.
Education and Experience:
- Bachelor's degree with at least 8 years of experience in the dairy and/or food science industry or Master's degree with 5 years in dairy and/or food science or equivalent combination of education and relevant progressive experience required.
- Prior experience must include significant product development and/or research experience preferably supporting Yogurt, Cultured dairy or ESL/UHT milk.
- Demonstrated examples of successful commercialization of dairy products required.
- Knowledge of USDA Organic regulations preferred but not required.
