Purpose Statement

The Principal Scientist – Dairy is a subject matter expert (SME) within the Global Toppings, Creamers, and Culinary Solutions (TCCS) Center of Excellence (COE), as part of the Research, Innovation, and Compliance (RIC) organization. This role will lead cross-functional and cross-regional transformation of dairy UHT, emulsions, and micellar casein platforms to unlock new revenue streams, accelerate time-to-market, and ensure global compliance with food safety and quality standards. The role supports delivering 2030 Vision by leading transformation of dairy technologies and enabling differentiated, scalable product solutions and mentoring global teams.

This role will be based at our WHQ in Buffalo, NY, with expected travel of up to 30% per year.

Key Accountabilities and Outcomes

• Lead strategic initiatives focused on dairy and emulsion-based technologies to design and execute innovative, scalable product solutions that align with global business growth objectives.

• Identify and propose new global platforms and technologies that address evolving consumer needs, sustainability goals, and market dynamics. This includes leveraging expertise in dairy systems, UHT, emulsions, and ingredient functionality to unlock scalable innovation opportunities.

• Monitor global trends and emerging technologies—from alternative dairy sources and clean-label formulations to digital manufacturing and precision fermentation—to inform long-term category strategy and innovation roadmaps.

• Drive cross-functional collaboration with R&D, Engineering, Marketing, and Supply Chain to ensure technical feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and market relevance.

• Collaborate with regional teams to develop and enforce food safety and quality assurance protocols across dairy manufacturing operations, raw milk handling, supplier compliance, and supply chain auditing. Ensure compliance with local regulations (e.g., FSMA, EFSA, GB standards) while maintaining global consistency and safeguarding product integrity.

• Ensure adherence to internal policies and Food Safety, Quality Assurance, and Regulatory (FSQAR) frameworks to proactively mitigate risks and enable successful project execution across regions.

• Monitor and analyze global quality metrics, consumer complaints, and non-conformance trends to drive continuous improvement.

• Lead the development of global standards, ingredient and product specifications, and testing methodologies.

• Develop and implement new product platforms through scientific and technological advancements.

• Conduct patent landscaping and competitive benchmarking to identify white space and protect innovation.

• Lead invention disclosures and patent filings for novel processes, ingredients, and formulations.

• Ensure global IP alignment across joint ventures, external partners, global cross-functional and RIC teams to safeguard Rich Products’ innovation pipeline, enhance competitive advantage, and support long-term category growth.

• Provide technical guidance and strategic direction to RIC Innovation teams and Business Units.

• Implement global technical strategies to protect and grow the category.

• Support Merger & Acquisition (M&A) activities through technical due diligence and capability assessments.

• Foster strong partnerships across departments including Marketing, Sales, Operations, and other RIC CoEs.

• Collaborate with Global Science & Technology and Digital teams to explore new perspectives and solutions.

• Represent the organization in external forums to position Rich Products as a global leader in assigned categories.

• Deliver technical training across local markets and support the development of global talent.

• Mentor cross-functional teams in design thinking, agile methodologies, and innovation best practices to accelerate dairy based product development and problem-solving.

• Contribute to organizational design and process improvements that enhance R&D efficiency, collaboration, and technical output.

• Cultivate a culture of creativity, collaboration, and continuous learning across global R&D functions.

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

• Degree in Dairy Science and Technology, Food Science, Food Engineering, Food Technology, or a related field (e.g., Dairy Chemistry, Food Chemistry).

• Bachelor’s degree with 10+ years of industrial/applied research experience.

• Master’s degree with 8+ years of industrial/applied research experience.

• Ph.D. with 7+ years of industrial/applied research experience.

• Proven experience in dairy systems, food emulsions, UHT technologies, and ingredient functionality.

• Working knowledge of international food safety regulations and standards (e.g., HACCP, GMP, FSMA, GFSI, ISO).

• Experience with supplier auditing and raw material risk management is preferred.

• Demonstrated progressive technical leadership in R&D, innovation, and product development.

• Strong track record of innovation and commercialization in the food industry.

• Ability to drive organizational change and foster a culture of innovation.

• Senior-level technical leadership within R&D innovation teams.

• Strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Excellent communication and presentation abilities.

• Experience working with global and remote teams.

• Strong business results orientation with a focus on measurable impact.

• Sound decision-making with a balanced approach to risk and opportunity.

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