60 Fairlife Research & Development Scientist Jobs Hiring Near You

job purpose:

responsibilities:

Mechanistic Research & Root-Cause Investigation

• Own the Problem Statement: Bridge the gap between the lab and the plant. Spend time on the manufacturing floor and in QA labs to map critical quality attributes and define complex technical challenges at their source.

• Hypothesis to Scale: Design comprehensive research plans to validate the underlying mechanisms behind product stability, age-gelation, sedimentation, and flavor kinetics.

• Translational Science: Test solutions from bench-top prototypes through pilot plant validation, culminating in commercial-scale trials. Translate data into clear, actionable recommendations for cross-functional leadership.

Advanced Analytics & Method Transfer

• Method Innovation: Proactively identify gaps in our current testing protocols. Evaluate, develop, and validate new analytical methods—specifically focusing on rheology, particle size distribution, chromatography, and volatile profiling.
• Knowledge Transfer: Draft robust SOPs and technical playbooks. Act as the lead Subject Matter Expert (SME) to transfer these new methods to plant QA labs, providing hands-on training to operational teams across all manufacturing sites.

Process Optimization & Technical Advocacy:

• Predictive Quality: Apply your deep understanding of milk protein chemistry (e.g., casein-whey interactions, mineral balance) to partner with Product Development and Operations, optimizing formulation and processing choices for fluid dairy beverages.
• Efficiency & Sustainability: Identify opportunities for process optimization that improve yield, thermal efficiency, and product shelf life, acting as a technical leader across Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain.

Emerging Leadership

• Team Growth: While starting as an individual contributor, you will have the immediate opportunity to mentor junior team members and build a small team (1–2 direct reports) of technicians or junior scientists as your workstreams expand.

skills/qualifications required:

required qualifications

• Education: MSc or PhD in Dairy Science, Food Science, Food Engineering, or a closely related field, with a distinct academic focus on physical chemistry or advanced processing.

• Experience: 1-3 (PhD) or 2-5 (MSc) years of progressive experience in dairy/food research, spanning laboratory bench work and pilot plant scale-up.

• Technical Mastery:

• • Dairy/Food Physical Chemistry: Deep understanding of the interactions between proteins, fats, enzymes, and minerals during manufacturing processing, under thermal stress and during shelf-life.

• • Analytical Toolset: Proven hands-on competence with rheology, chromatographic methods, particle size, and compositional analyses.

• • Technical Writing: Exceptional capability in authoring rigorous technical reports, white papers, or peer-reviewed documentation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Comprehensive understanding of applied dairy chemistry.

• Unit Operations: intimate familiarity with end-to-end fluid milk operations (separation, standardization, membrane filtration, homogenization, and UHT/aseptic processing).

• Direct experience with commercial aseptic systems and product-packaging interactions (e.g., PET barrier integrity, closures).

• A proven track record of leading complex, cross-functional root-cause investigations (e.g., solving oxidation defects, fouling reduction, or severe shelf-life failures).

• Familiarity with the regulatory framework governing dairy processing, functional ingredients, and stabilizers.

working conditions and physical requirements: 

• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.

how fairlife nourishes you:

At fairlife, we believe in better — and that includes how we support our people. We offer a comprehensive suite of benefits and wellbeing resources designed to support you physically, emotionally, socially, and financially, both in and out of work.

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, effective day one!

• Supplemental health plans (hospital indemnity, accident, and critical illness insurance)

• Paid Time Off to recharge and support work-life balance

• Paid parental leave & adoption assistance (up to $10,000)

• Parental support & family care benefits, including childcare resources and lactation support

• 401(k) to support retirement planning with up to 9% in employer match

• Wellness reimbursement (up to $500 for qualified wellbeing expenses)

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for emotional wellbeing and work-life support

• Company-paid life insurance and short-term disability

• Employer HSA funding (for HDHP participants)

• Tuition reimbursement (up to $10,000) and student loan repayment ($200/month)

• Learning & development programs to unlock your full potential

• Rewards & recognition, matching gifts, free product, and Business Resource Groups

fairlife's nour!sh program is designed to meet you where you are — supporting your individual wellbeing journey while enabling you to do your best work every day.

position location: Chicago, IL

reports to: Kamil Drapala, Sr. Director, R&D

travel requirements: 20-30%

exempt/nonexempt: exempt