Food Research Development Jobs in Oregon (NOW HIRING)

Come work with Tofurky! We are the Nation's leading manufacturer of plant-based proteins and dairy-free cheeses. Our range of 35+ products can be found in more than 25,000 grocery stores throughout North America. We're on a mission to erase the myth that people have to make a choice between enjoying tasty food OR taking care of themselves and the planet. We can do both.

Tofurky is hiring a Senior Food Scientist to join our Research & Development team. This position is full-time and onsite at our location in Hood River, Oregon.

The Senior Food Scientist is a hands-on technical leader responsible for driving the development, improvement, and commercialization of our plant-based protein and dairy-free cheese products. Reporting to the VP of R&D, this role owns projects from concept through production scale-up, leads plant trials, drives cost-savings and quality initiatives, and serves as a senior technical resource across the R&D team. This position is designed for an experienced food scientist who can work autonomously, lead multiple projects in parallel, and thrive in a fast-moving, small-team environment.

The ideal candidate is curious, detail-oriented, and highly organized. You document your work meticulously because you know reproducibility matters and that institutional knowledge must survive turnover. You're an easy-going team player who is comfortable in a startup-like environment, moving fast, prioritizing effectively, and leading projects from bench to shelf.

Essential Functions

Formulation and Product Development

• Develop product formulations, processing procedures, and product specifications for new products, line extensions, product improvements, and cost-savings projects.
• Work collaboratively to execute development from bench to production scale, finding ingredient alternatives, optimizing formulas, and improving ingredient functionality to reduce cost while protecting quality.
• Design and execute product quality and stability experiments; analyze and interpret data to make sound technical recommendations on product and process.
• Document processes, formulas, ingredients, and results related to production tests, samples, and product evaluations.
• Evaluate prototypes provided by 3rd party partners and assist in quality, product improvement, and productivity initiatives for co-manufactured (CO-MAN) products.
• Work with outside suppliers and vendors to source and evaluate ingredients.

Scale-Up and Manufacturing Support

• Design and lead in-house and plant trials, create analytical reports, organize sensory tastings, and draw conclusions and recommendations for next steps.
• Translate bench formulas to pilot and production scale, including working with co-manufacturing partners.
• Understand production equipment constraints (e.g., sizing, slicing, shredding, binding) to ensure formulations are manufacturable.
• Partner with operations to provide technical support that drives quality and value improvement in processes.
• Collaborate with production, maintenance, and QA to improve current products by creating and implementing new quality parameters (e.g., temperature and time data, amperage testing).
• Partner with operations to implement cost-optimization approaches focused on waste reduction.

Testing and Analysis

• Design and run shelf-life studies, including product performance under various conditions.
• Conduct quality evaluations and contribute to quality disposition decisions on existing products.
• Support sensory programs: prepare samples for internal and external tasting and analyze results to inform formulation decisions.

Documentation and Regulatory

• Create nutritional specs, ingredient specs, and allergen statements for in-house Tofurky products across the USA, Canada, UK, and Australia using Genesis software.
• Review nutritional claims, identify gaps and non-compliance, and recommend action plans to ensure compliance; support non-GMO Project verification.
• Establish and maintain systems and processes for storing, reviewing, and sharing labeling information.
• Support food safety initiatives through knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and HACCP principles, and help maintain regulatory compliance for domestic and international markets.
• Maintain internal R&D documentation: systematically record experiments, formulations, trial outcomes, sensory evaluations, and observations.

Project Management and Leadership

• Independently manage time and projects for assigned tasks; develop weekly work-plans to manage projects and ensure deadlines are met.
• Lead and prioritize multiple projects in parallel, adjusting based on Tofurky's dynamic needs.
• Manage external consultants engaged on R&D projects.
• Lead training and onboarding of new R&D team members and QA techs on current product formulations and processes.
• Communicate project status, results, and recommendations clearly to stakeholders.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Marketing/NPD: translate technical results and constraints to marketing partners; support New Product Development timelines and participate in feasibility discussions.
• Supply Chain & QA: partner on ingredient sourcing, supplier qualification, and continuity planning; help qualify secondary suppliers and develop test plans for new ingredients; communicate R&D ingredient needs early.
• Finance: ensure R&D cost-savings projects are tracked and reported correctly.
• Prepare product prototypes and samples for sales events, trade shows, and internal reviews.

Qualifications

• Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry, Biology, Engineering, or a related discipline, with experience scaled to the degree level:
  • Bachelor's degree and 7-8+ years of food product development experience; or
  • Master's degree and 5+ years of food product development experience; or
  • Ph.D. in a related field and 2-3+ years of industry product development experience (this is an experienced, hands-on role - recent Ph.D. graduates without industry experience are not a good fit).
• A proven track record of developing and commercializing successful food product formulations in a manufacturing or CPG environment.
• Demonstrated experience executing development from bench to production scale for new products, product improvements, and cost-savings projects.
• Experience designing and conducting plant trials and new product start-ups.
• Strong ability to find ingredient alternatives, optimize formulas, and enhance ingredient functionality for cost savings.
• Knowledge of food processing technology, ingredient functionality, formulation techniques, sensory analysis, food cost and scaling, and food storage and packaging.
• Working knowledge of food safety (GMP, HACCP) and regulatory/labeling requirements; experience with nutritional labeling software (Genesis preferred).
• Excellent project management skills with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple projects independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience with plant-based or alternative protein/dairy products is highly desired.

Work Environment and Physical Demands

This job operates in an office and laboratory setting with frequent exposure to production areas. This role routinely uses standard office and lab equipment. This position is frequently required to enter production and warehousing floors and must follow personnel procedures pertaining to dress and code of conduct in those areas.

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work

This is a salaried, exempt position. Typical days and hours of work are Monday through Friday. Flexibility in work schedule is required to accommodate business needs. Occasional extended hours and weekend work may be required. This is a full-time, onsite position at our Hood River, Oregon location.

Travel

Occasional travel may be required to support plant trials, co-manufacturing partners, and supplier visits.