Principal Scientist, R&D - Ingredient Technology (Fats & Emulsions)

Job Summary:

The Kraft Heinz Next Generation Ingredients R&D team is seeking an experienced scientist in ingredient technology and food system development to join the team in Glenview, IL. In this role, you will lead the discovery, development, and scale-up of new ingredient technologies and product concepts, with a core emphasis on lipid-containing food systems where fat functionality and stability drive product performance and shelf life. 

You will translate emerging ingredient, processing, and modeling capabilities into practical solutions for the North American portfolio, particularly in: 

• Oil-in-water emulsions (e.g., mayonnaise and salad dressing–type systems), where performance depends on interfacial behavior and emulsion stability 

• Dairy fat systems in processed cheese and cream cheese, where fat–protein–salt–water interactions and structure drive texture, melt, and quality 

Success requires strong ingredient science fundamentals and the ability to operate across laboratory and business settings. You will strengthen predictive control of lipid functionality and shelf-life (especially oxidative quality in cleaner-label systems). 

Key Responsibilities:  

• Lead lipid-driven ingredient technology initiatives by framing hypotheses and failure modes, then converting mechanistic understanding into formulation and process options for emulsions and dairy fat applications. 

• Identify and prioritize ingredient technology platforms across the North American portfolio using technology landscaping, literature review, and structured scoping, with focus on fats/oils functionality, emulsion performance, and oxidative stability. 

• Design and execute experimental plans (including stability and accelerated shelf-life); analyze data, develop recommendations, and assess technical risk—distinguishing physical instability (e.g., phase separation) from chemical instability (e.g., oxidation). 

• Apply ingredient science fundamentals to evaluate ingredient interactions, stability, and performance in complex food systems—emphasizing interfaces, fat–protein interactions, salt/water effects, and pro-oxidant drivers. 

• Leverage analytical, modeling, and digital tools to improve experimental efficiency and generate practical formulation and process guidance. 

• Build team capability through mentoring and reusable playbooks for experimental design, troubleshooting, and knowledge capture in emulsion stability and lipid oxidation risk. 

• Build and lead external research collaborations (universities, suppliers, startups, and industry partners) to validate emerging technologies and inform internal direction. 

• Lead cross-functional technical workstreams with key stakeholders (e.g., marketing, operations, quality, regulatory) to advance research and innovation where lipid chemistry or fat-structure stability drives quality or shelf-life risk. 

• Anticipate portfolio needs by proposing technology strategies, value hypotheses, and prioritized learning plans with decision points. 

• Define scalable application pathways from bench to commercial scale, including prototyping and scale-up trials. 

Requirements:  

• Bachelor’s in Food Science, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Dairy Science, Food Chemistry, or related fields. (Master’s or PhD preferred) 

• Minimum experience: 6 years (BS), 5 years (MS), or 4 years (PhD). 

• Strong background in ingredient science and ingredient technology development with depth in lipid-containing systems and the ability to diagnose and improve fat-driven performance and shelf-life. 

• Experience leading experiments at bench and pilot scale. Experience running trials in a plant setting is preferred.  

• Demonstrated ability to characterize ingredients and evaluate interactions using appropriate analytical and modeling approaches to assess performance across complex systems. 

• Knowledge of food industry trends, consumer preferences, and regulatory requirements, including experience navigating select cleaner-label programs and ingredient substitution within complex food systems. 

• Working knowledge of lipid chemistry and degradation pathways (e.g., oxidation) and their impact on product quality during shelf life. 

• Excellent communication, collaboration, and stakeholder leadership skills, with the ability to lead technically ambiguous cross-functional initiatives and communicate effectively with both technical and nontechnical audiences. 

• Demonstrated ability to scale technical capability through mentoring and by creating reusable guidance (e.g., playbooks, troubleshooting frameworks, experimental templates) that improves consistency and speed across multiple projects. 

• Ability to prioritize effectively, navigate ambiguity, and set technical direction by translating signals into hypotheses, learning agendas, and decision-ready recommendations. 

• Experience designing shelf-life and accelerated shelf-life studies, with familiarity in analytical, modeling, or AI-enabled tools that strengthen predictive understanding. Experience assessing oxidation is preferred—especially in systems without antioxidants and preservatives. 

• Demonstrated ability to establish and lead collaborative research with universities, suppliers, startups, and industry partners.