Culinary Scientist

About Us:

 T.  Marzetti Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lancaster Colony Corporation (NASDAQ: LANC), is a manufacturer and marketer of specialty food products for the retail and foodservice markets. Our retail brands include Marzetti^®, New York Bakery™ and Sister Schubert’s^®, in addition to exclusive license agreements for Olive Garden^® dressings, Chick-fil-A^® sauces and Buffalo Wild Wings^® sauces. Our foodservice business supplies many of the top restaurant chains in the United States.

Overview:

Marzetti, and we reserve the right to contact those candidates without any obligation to pay a fee.

We seek a creative, detail-oriented professional who excels in both independent work and collaborative environments. The Culinary Scientist position requires working a salaried- exempt schedule to best execute against customer and internal expectations.

Responsibilities:

• Product Development and Optimization: Execute hands-on formulation and benchwork to create and refine on-trend sauces and dressings aligning with consumer insights. Collaborate with cross-functional teams including chefs and food scientists to meet design criteria, storage, shelf life, cost, and scalability requirements. Provide culinary input on ingredient sourcing and ensure regulatory compliance for labeling, allergens, and claims. Document processing considerations and communicate expected variations.
• Recipe Development and Testing: Develop and test new recipes and concepts that showcase creativity, taste, and nutritional value in a clean and organized work area. Conduct hands-on testing in the kitchen to refine recipes and document all research, development, and testing processes in an organized and comprehensive manner.
• Product Conceptualization and Ideation: Collaborate with marketing, R&D, and culinary teams to create new product ideas based on market trends, consumer preferences, and client needs. Assist in brainstorming sessions to generate innovative flavor profiles and product concepts.
• Customer and Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with R&D, Culinary, Marketing, and Sales teams to support and/or lead customer work sessions, tastings, and product training. Assist in the development of content and delivery of presentations that communicate culinary inspiration and showcase prototypes to key stakeholders. Help facilitate planning, set-up, preparation and execution of trade shows, conferences, and supplier demonstrations to drive industry engagement and strengthen vendor partnerships.
• Education, Training, and Development: Participate in vendor showings, webinars, trade shows, food exhibitions, and professional development to gain inspiration and keep updated with new technologies.
• Trend Analysis and Research: Monitor culinary and industry trends, ingredient innovations, and consumer insights to bring innovative ideas to the development process and stay ahead of the market.
• Culinary R&D Lab Maintenance & Management: Support the daily operations of the Innovation Center Kitchens by ensuring cleanliness and organization, facilitating project work, and coordinating facility events. Assist with ingredient sourcing, including retail purchases and competitive product research, as needed.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science or Culinary Science, and 2+ years’ experience in food service.
• In-Depth Knowledge of Ingredients, including handling, origin, and cooking applications, with a strong grasp of culinary techniques and proficiency in recipe development and flavor balancing.
• Strong Foundation in Food Science. Deep understanding of food science principles and ingredient functionality, ensuring innovative and effective culinary solutions.
• Preferred Experience in Restaurant Operations, coupled with a solid understanding of cooking principles, kitchen operations and best practices.
• Creative Culinary Mindset. Passionate about exploring new flavors, ingredients, and cooking techniques, and bringing creativity and innovation to every dish.
• Commitment to Food Safety. Thorough understanding of food safety protocols and regulations, ensuring compliance and maintaining high standards of hygiene.
• Collaborative Team Player. Ability to work respectfully and professionally in fast-paced, dynamic cross-functional teams, with a commitment to clear communication and flexibility in supporting colleagues as needed.
• Effective Time Management, skilled in planning work based on project timelines and deadlines, with a strong willingness to follow detailed instructions and specifications for successful outcomes.
• Strong communication skills (written and verbal) enabling effective collaboration with cross-functional teams and the ability to articulate complex information clearly. Proven capability to evolve into a trusted presenter of concepts to key customers.
• Detail-oriented with foundational computer skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, to develop compelling presentations and maintain accurate records. Eager to enhance skills in content development for impactful customer engagements.

Working Conditions/Environment:

• Primary work in R&D lab and culinary kitchen
• Ability to travel up to 30%.
• Stand for extended periods.
• Light to heavy lifting required. Not to exceed 50 lbs.
• Ability to operate a computer and view screens.