Senior Food Scientist (m/f/d), Master Cheese Formulation

About Ingredion:

Join Ingredion, where innovation impacts lives worldwide! Without even realizing it, you've experienced our work in your favorite chocolate, your pet's food, the paper you write on, and your everyday snacks. As a global powerhouse across more than 60 industries, we harness the potential of natural ingredients to transform lives. Whether you're just starting your career or bringing years of experience, there's a place for you here to make a real difference. Be part of our team that values a wide range of perspectives and is committed to shaping a better world with every product we create.

Location: Hamburg, Germany OR Lübeck, Germany

Workplace type: Hybrid

Ingredion is seeking a passionate and innovative Senior Food Scientist to join our Global Dairy and Alternative Dairy Applications team. In this role, you will lead and execute innovation projects focused on cheese making, applying your expertise across the full product development lifecycle, from ideation to commercialization. This position requires a hands-on approach to food design, a strong foundation in food science, and technical curiosity in a collaborative, cross-functional environment.

Join us to innovate and lead in the cheese category!

What You'll Do:

• Lead cheese product development by collaborating with cross-functional teams (Marketing, Regional Technical Services, and customers) to create differentiated, value-driven solutions aligned with consumer needs.
• Translate customer insights into technical innovations by identifying key value propositions and enabling breakthroughs in dairy and alternative dairy formulations.
• Design and execute experiments in lab and pilot settings to optimize formulations, enhance functionality, improve yields, and evaluate novel ingredients or enzymes.
• Act as the cheese applications expert, supporting commercialization, coordinating sensory and consumer testing, managing sample production, and monitoring product quality through analytical and sensory methods.
• Ensure project success by managing timelines and deliverables, documenting experimental work, and communicating results and recommendations to stakeholders.
• Support scale-up and industrialization, contribute to intellectual property development, and stay ahead of trends through collaboration with research centers, academia, and professional associations.

Who You Are:

• A creative problem solver with strong scientific rigor and a passion for food innovation in the cheese space. You must be willing to play a part in developing new effective cheese technologies.
• A collaborative team player with proven industry experience, including exposure to pilot and plant manufacturing environments, and capable of scaling up products while troubleshooting processing challenges.
• A clear communicator committed to commercial excellence, with the ability to translate technical findings into business impact.
• Curious, proactive and eager to stay at the forefront of industry trends and emerging technologies.

What you will bring:

• Degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Engineering or related field with 8- 10+ years of progressive experience.
• Proven knowledge of dairy proteins and cheese-making technologies, with experience in developing and commercializing products.
• Expertise in experimental design, process development, troubleshooting and technical data analysis.
• Strong ability to translate scientific research into commercially viable manufacturing applications.
• Strong project management and communication skills including technical reporting and impactful presentations.
• Ability to collaborate effectively and influence stakeholders
• Willingness to travel up to 20% for customer visits, facility trials and conferences.

Why Join Ingredion?

• Flexible Work Arrangements - We value flexibility to support you both professionally and personally
• Total Rewards Package - Competitive salary and performance-based pay recognizing your contributions to our success
• Generous Vacation Policy - Take advantage of 30 vacation days each year, plus two additional holidays on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve
• Comprehensive Benefits & Wellness Support - Access health benefits, EGYM Wellpass Membership, savings plans, and resources for your well-being, plus perks like a Profi Ticket, free parking, and secure bicycle accommodations.
• Career Growth - Learning, training, and development opportunities.
• Employee Recognition Program - A culture of real-time appreciation, with personalized recognition rewards globally
• Employee Referral Program - Refer top talent and earn a bonus if they're hired
• Company Pension Plan - Secure your future with financial support for retirement.
• Company Events - Join in on our Christmas party, family day, or Sustainability day for fun and connection

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We value diversity in our company and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, military status, or disability status.

Ingredion offers support to applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If an applicant requires accommodation during the application or selection process, we will work with the applicant to meet their needs.

Privacy Notice: The Applicant Privacy Notice explains how Ingredion uses personal data of applicants and what rights an applicant has in relation to the use of this data for recruitment purposes. This notice applies to applications submitted through Ingredion's career websites and through third parties, such as recruitment agencies, job boards and other means, e. g. by post or e-mail. The announcement can be viewed here:

Relocation Available:
Yes, Within Region