Food Scientist

Second Nature Brands – Burlington, Ontario

Second Nature Brands is on a mission to grow from $500M to $1B over the next 4 years through an aggressive combination of M&A and organic growth. Reporting to the Director, R&D, the Food Scientist will lead the formulation, development, and optimization of our cookie products. This role will have the opportunity to drive innovation, renovation, and maintenance of existing and new product lines, enabling growth and ensuring R&D objectives. This role combines culinary creativity with scientific expertise to create innovative, high-quality cookies that align with consumer trends, market demands, and operational feasibility. The successful candidate will be based in Burlington, Ontario and will occasionally travel to our Michigan manufacturing facilities.

Role and Responsibilities

Product Innovation:

• Design and develop new cookie products from concept to commercialization.
• Experiment with unique ingredients, flavors, and textures to deliver standout products.
• Create and refine recipes to meet consumer preferences, trends, and regulatory standards.

Product Optimization:

• Improve existing cookie formulations for taste, texture, shelf stability, and cost-effectiveness.
• Conduct sensory and analytical evaluations to ensure product consistency and quality.

Research and Development:

• Stay ahead of industry trends by researching new ingredients, baking technologies, and consumer preferences.
• Test and validate new ingredients for functionality and compatibility with existing processes.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Work closely with marketing to align product concepts with brand positioning.
• Partner with production teams to ensure formulations can be efficiently scaled for manufacturing.
• Collaborate with quality assurance to ensure all products meet safety, regulatory, and quality standards.

Process and Documentation:

• Develop and maintain detailed documentation of formulations, processes, and test results.
• Ensure all recipes and processes comply with food safety regulations and labeling requirements.

Troubleshooting and Support:

• Provide technical support during production to resolve formulation or process issues.
• Optimize production methods to enhance efficiency and minimize waste.

Capabilities, Experience, and Education Requirements

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in food science, Food Technology, Culinary Science, or a related field.
• 6 + years of experience in food product development, preferably in cookies or baked goods, with commercialization experience.
• In-depth knowledge of baking processes, ingredient functionality, and sensory evaluation techniques.
• Utilize ingredient and process knowledge, experimental design and data interpretation tools to make technically sound recommendations.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects and meet tight deadlines.
• Creative thinker with strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to build strong relationships and collaborate with internal colleagues to optimize new product development and commercialization processes.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills
• Regulatory experience an asset