At MyFOREST Foods, we're on a mission to create sustainable and delicious food products that are good for people and the planet.
A Food Scientist at MyForest Foods is a creative and technically driven product development expert responsible for driving innovation, scale-up, and continuous improvement of MyForest’s product portfolio. This role leads cross-functional initiatives across R&D, Operations, Quality, and Marketing, with a focus on formulation development, process optimization, cost savings, and packaging innovation—particularly in structural packaging design for plant-based foods.
Role Responsibilities
Conduct research to enhance product performance, shelf-life, sensory quality, and cost-efficiency, including studies involving formulation, process, packaging, and quality variables.
Lead product optimization and scale-up efforts, including definition and refinement of processing methods and structural packaging formats.
Collaborate with marketing and business teams to translate consumer insights into new product concepts and pilot-scale production runs.
Evaluate and recommend ingredient, processing, and packaging changes to support commercialization, regulatory compliance, and consumer safety.
Design and execute experiments to understand ingredient functionality and interactions, including sensory, nutritional, and stability outcomes.
Lead packaging-related innovation efforts with a strong emphasis on structural packaging science, evaluating material compatibility, product protection, barrier properties, and environmental footprint.
Partner with Supply Chain and Operations to identify and specify equipment needed for product scale-up, including influence on line layout and throughput requirements.
Work with the Quality and Regulatory teams to ensure compliance with FDA guidelines, including GMPs, HACCP, and Food Safety Plans.
Stay current on developments in plant-based ingredient technologies and emerging packaging solutions, and communicate findings to senior leadership.
Maintain detailed technical documentation and present research findings and recommendations in a clear, actionable format.
Minimum Qualifications and Competencies
Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Chemistry, or a related technical discipline required; Master’s degree preferred.
Minimum of 3 years’ experience in food product development, with demonstrated success in taking products from concept to market.
Proven experience with packaging design, including structural packaging development, material selection, barrier optimization, and machinability for both primary and secondary packaging.
Strong understanding of food manufacturing, especially within the plant-based meat or analog space.
Hands-on experience in product scale-up and commercialization, including line trials, co-manufacturing coordination, and specification development.
Familiarity with shelf-life modeling and food packaging interactions.
Strong project management and business acumen; ability to balance speed-to-market with technical and regulatory rigor.
Applied knowledge of analytical and sensory evaluation techniques.
Exceptional communication skills (written and verbal), able to translate complex technical content into business-relevant insights.
Comfortable working in cross-functional teams and mentoring or supervising technical staff
Self-starter with a proactive and safety-first mindset.
Proficiency in technology platforms for data capture, formulation, and product lifecycle management.
Knowledge of FDA food regulations, GMPs, HACCP, and preventive control strategies.
Certifications / Licenses
Valid Food Handler Certification required; additional certifications in HACCP or Preventive Controls for Human Food preferred.
The pay range for this role based on skills and experience is $80,000 - $110,000 annually.
Excited? So are we!
MyFOREST Foods is an Equal Opportunity Employer.