Sr. Food Scientist

Position Title: Sr. Food Scientist
Position Type: Regular - Full-Time
Position Location: Appleton ; Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois
Grade: Grade 05
Requisition ID: 35559
About the role.
As a Senior Food Scientist, you will lead technical innovation, renovation, and value optimization of products that delight consumers and strengthen our brands. A key part of this role is driving front-end innovation-connecting insights, trends, and technical opportunities to create differentiated food experiences. You'll apply deep scientific expertise and consumer understanding to design, develop, and deploy solutions that are not only delicious and sustainable, but that meet emerging needs across markets.
Key Responsibilities
1. Front-End Innovation & Concept Development

• In collaboration with Marketing, Insights, and/or Culinary, proactively identify whitespace opportunities and future-focused innovation platforms rooted in consumer insights, global food trends, and emerging technologies.
• Translate high-level ideas into technically feasible prototypes and proof-of-concept models to nurture front-end pipelines.
• Help build and refine the innovation funnel by assessing desirability, viability, and feasibility from early on and throughout the life of the project.

2. Technical & Scientific Leadership

• Owns the design, coordination, and execution of the technical path to solution of the entire project. Leads, collaborates, and challenges all technical functions (process engineering, packaging, manufacturing, procurement, regulatory, Q&FS, etc.) to define resource needs (time, people, money), assess and mitigate risks, CapEx or raw material requirements.
• Applies advanced knowledge in ingredient functionality, food chemistry, processing, and formulation to solve complex technical challenges.
• Prototypes to learn and knows how, when, and with whom to share findings.

3. Strategic Project Execution

• Serves as the technical lead on cross-functional teams, balancing consumer desires, business priorities, and operational capabilities.
• Use strong experimental design, data analysis, and scientific reasoning (e.g., Design of Experiments) to guide decisions.

4. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Communication

• Manages and communicates to Project lead & (senior) stakeholders all aspects related to the technical readiness of the project, makes recommendations, and influences decision making.
• Represent R&D in internal and external forums-including customer presentations, commercialization meetings, and innovation workshops.

Qualifications
Education

• Bachelor's in food science, food engineering, chemistry, or related discipline. A postgraduate degree will be a competitive advantage.

Experience

• 4+ years of experience in food product development, with demonstrated success leading front-end innovation and commercialization projects
• Experience developing early-stage concepts and translating them into scalable technical solutions
• Strong understanding of consumer-led design, trend translation, and early feasibility screening

Key Competencies

• Front-End Innovation Expertise - Proven ability to identify, shape, and drive upstream innovation platforms from idea to proof-of-concept
• Scientific Rigor - Applies technical depth and critical thinking to overcome formulation and processing challenges
• Project Leadership - Balances multiple initiatives with attention to detail, risk management, and business alignment
• Consumer-Centric Mindset - Uses insights to inform development and deliver experiences that resonate with real needs
• Strategic Thinking - Connects long-term innovation strategy with near-term business impact
• Collaboration & Influence - Builds strong partnerships across functions and communicates effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Creative Problem Solving - Brings curiosity, experimentation, and agility to every stage of the development process

About McCain.
At McCain, we're feeding the world: from French fries to cakes, we contribute to the important role food plays in people's lives. That's why we're dedicated to ensuring our core values-Family, Authentic, Trusted, and Quality-shine through every day. As a privately owned family company with over 60 years of experience, a presence in more than 160 countries, and a global team of 22,000 people, our values and culture are at the heart of everything we do. We believe that we can work together, along with our business and community partners, to bring sustainable growth and positive change today, tomorrow, and for generations to come. Join us and see how you can MAKE IT at McCain!
Leadership Principles.
Our principles, each with related practices, guide our actions across the organization. Together, they address how McCain interacts with our customers and employees, and how we work as individuals and collectively to find success. While each role adheres to the Leadership Principles, individual roles may focus more on a specific principle or principles.
We are customer obsessed. Customers are our starting point. By understanding their needs and leveraging data and consumer insights, we drive mutual success.
We think big and plan ahead. Through ambition, curiosity, and smart risks, we can accomplish goals, refine processes, and innovate to scale success.
We bring out the best in our people. We create safe spaces for our people so that trust and empowerment come naturally. Inclusion is about listening first, showing humility, and working together.
We act like owners. Together, we clear obstacles and do the work that makes us all successful and proud to be part of McCain.
The McCain experience.
We are McCain: this statement is about our power collectively and our importance individually-your impact is a significant part of the business. Our winning culture focuses on authenticity and trust so we can always bring out the best in our people. Here, you have the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive while being yourself. Join our team to see why we're better together.
#LI-DM2
Compensation Package : $85,500.00 - $114,000.00 USD a nnually + bonus eligibility
The above reflects the target compensation range for the position at the time of posting. Hiring compensation will be determined based on experience, skill set, education/training, and other organizational needs.
Benefits : At McCain, we're on a mission to create a winning culture that puts employee safety and wellbeing at the heart of what we do, every day. We understand and appreciate that each person's needs are unique and ensure our benefits & wellbeing programs reflect that. Employees are eligible for the following benefits: health coverage (medical, dental, vision, prescription drug), retirement savings benefits, and leave support including medical, family and bereavement. Wellbeing programs include vacation and holidays, company-supported volunteering time, and mental health resources. Coverages are aligned to country, provincial and state governing plans and can vary by work level, location and nature of the role. Additional benefit details available during the application process.
Your well-being matters to us, and we're here to provide you with the necessary resources to support you in being your best self at work - and at home.
McCain Foods is an equal opportunity employer. We see value in ensuring we have a diverse, antiracist, inclusive, merit-based, and equitable workplace. As a global family-owned company we are proud to reflect the diverse communities around the world in which we live and work. We recognize that diversity drives our creativity, resilience, and success and makes our business stronger.
McCain is an accessible employer. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process (including alternate formats of materials or accessible meeting rooms), please let us know and we will work with you to meet your needs.
Your privacy is important to us. By submitting personal data or information to us, you agree this will be handled in accordance with the Global Privacy Policy
Job Family: Research & Development
Division: Global Research and Development
Department: Research and Development Innovation
Location(s): US - United States of America : Wisconsin : Appleton || US - United States of America : Illinois : Oakbrook Terrace
Company: McCain Foods USA, Inc.