Research & Development Food Scientist

Moorepark East, IrelandHybridToday

Job description

## About the role We are seeking a Food Scientist to support the development of innovative dairy products, ingredients and manufacturing processes through the application of advanced analytical techniques. The role will help translate customer, consumer and market needs into technically robust product and process solutions. Working within multidisciplinary project teams, the scientist translates analytical data into meaningful scientific insights that drive innovation across dairy products including milk, cheese, yoghurt, dairy proteins, whey and casein ingredients and nutritional products. The role should also connect scientific findings to product performance, nutritional positioning, customer requirements and commercial value. What will I be doing? - Conduct routine and advanced chemical, physical and functional analyses of milk, dairy ingredients and finished products using a range of analytical techniques to support product development, ingredient functionality, process optimisation and quality improvement, ensuring compliance with laboratory quality systems and health and safety requirements. - Design, develop, optimise and validate analytical methods and experimental protocols to improve the accuracy, robustness and efficiency of analytical testing, supporting research into dairy chemistry, product functionality, stability and manufacturing performance. - Plan and execute laboratory experiments, analyse and interpret complex analytical datasets using appropriate statistical methods, and translate scientific findings into actionable recommendations that inform product formulation,process development, manufacturing consistency and innovation across dairy products and ingredients. - Provide analytical expertise to multidisciplinary R&D projects by collaborating with product developers, process engineers, quality teams and manufacturing colleagues, supporting pilot plant trials, scale-up activities, troubleshooting technical challenges and the successful transfer of new analytical methods and processes into R&D and production as required. - Prepare technical reports, scientific documentation, presentations and standard operating procedures (SOPs), maintain accurate laboratory records and equipment, and contribute to continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to enhance analytical capability, laboratory efficiency and the adoption of emerging analytical technologies. - Build collaborative relationships with universities, suppliers, equipment manufacturers and other external partners to identify emerging technologies, analytical approaches and innovations relevant to dairy products and ingredients. - Monitor scientific literature, competitor activity, ingredient technologies and emerging analytical or processing approaches relevant to dairy, nutrition and infant formula applications. - Communicate technical progress, risks, results and recommendations clearly to project teams, senior stakeholders, and manufacturing partners enabling informed decision making. What do I need to be successful? At Kinisla, we understand that people have very different career trajectories and experiences. In order to be successful in this role we would be looking for the right competencies and aptitudes as well as your proven track record of success in a similar role and environment. ### These include - Master's degree or PhD in Dairy Science, Food Science, Food Technology, Food Engineering, Chemistry, Biochemistry or a related discipline; dairy specialisation preferred. - A minimum of 3 years' experience in an R&D or technical development role within an industrial or applied research environment. - Experience in dairy ingredients, nutritional products, protein science or customer-led product development would be a distinct advantage. Preferred Skills and Experience: - Demonstrated experience in analytical science within the food, dairy or ingredients sector, including laboratory testing, analytical method development, validation and troubleshooting, supported by a strong understanding of food chemistry and dairy composition.