Senior Scientist (Product Development)

About Liquid I.V.

At Liquid I.V., our purpose is to elevate the vitality of people and the planet. An ambitious goal? Yes! But by playing to win, holding the bar higher, championing wellbeing, and always thinking with a pioneering mindset we can go further together to leave a lasting mark. 

Our products are stocked in over 80,000 retail doors, including the world’s leading specialty, big box, and online retailers such as Costco, Walmart, Target, Amazon, and many more. In just over 10 years, our growth has been exponential. And as part of Unilever, we’re continuing the expansion of Liquid I.V. into a global brand. 

We’re also passionate about cultivating solutions for equitable clean water access, a healthier planet, and thriving communities. We contribute over 1% of our company revenue to our Impact Program through which we provide partnerships and grants to organizations that expand access to clean and abundant water locally and globally. By 2026, our goal is to help ensure access to clean water for 2 million people around the world. 

About our Team:

We are a world-class team of innovators and passionate changemakers, looking to develop transformative hydration solutions and make a meaningful impact on the world around us.  

At Liquid I.V., we are committed to building an inclusive culture of belonging that not only embraces the diversity of our people but also reflects the diversity of the communities in which we work and the customers we serve.    

Our team members enjoy a flexible and inclusive working environment, a highly collaborative and innovation-forward culture, generous benefits and perks that empower employees to champion their wellbeing every day, as well as an infinite supply of Liquid I.V. for extraordinary hydration. 

About the Role:

Liquid I.V. is looking for a highly motivated, innovative, out-of-the-box thinker to join R&D team as a Senior Scientist. Reporting to the R&D Sr. Manager, Product Development, this role will support core expansion and continuous improvement projects. The R&D Senior Scientist will be an integral member of the LIV R&D team and will have cross-functional collaboration within various levels of the business. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in new product development, with a focus on powdered food/beverage development. Experience with hands on formulation, productivity and resilience projects is highly desirable.

Functions and duties of this role include, but not limited to:

Functions and duties of this role include, but not limited to:

• This role will support the reformulation of products to meet updated nutritional, sensory, regulatory, or cost optimization targets.
• Collaboration with the Sensory team to evaluate reformulated prototypes against existing benchmarks and ensure product meets superiority standards
• Partner with technical commercialization function to ensure successful transfer and execution of product formulations and specifications at various manufacturing sites · Develop technical specifications for raw material, bulk blends and finished product in collaboration with cross-functional team
•  Plan and execute stability studies for new and existing formulations. Analyze data to make recommendations for product and process updates
• Apply food science knowledge to troubleshoot technical issues and provide recommendations 
• Support implementation of step changes in PD capabilities as outlined in function growth strategies 
• Collaborate with cross-functional team to identify and execute continuous improvement initiatives across core portfolio to gain efficiencies 
• Maintain on-time delivery of critical project milestones, lead internal communication with cross-functional partners as it relates to product briefs, formula evaluation and other deliverables 
• Develop strong working relationships with innovation partners, suppliers, contract manufactures to meet and or exceed timelines 
• Travel as necessary to represent team at industry conferences, tradeshows, formula development, pilot and/or production runs, work onsite at CM R&D facilities as needed to meet project approval milestones 
• Perform additional duties as assigned
  

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s in Food Science or Food Engineering with 5+ years of relevant work experience in product development in the CPG, Nutrition, or Wellness industry. · Masters in Food Science or Food Engineering with 3+ years of relevant work experience in product development in the CPG, Nutrition, or Wellness industry.
• Strong working knowledge of food science, health and nutrition, food manufacturing processes, market research practices, and product commercialization. 
• Strong background in new product development, with a focus on powdered food/beverage development, preferred.
• Excellent planning, organizational, and project management skills · Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills with ability to define problems, collect and interpret data, draw valid conclusions, and propose solutions.
• Highly innovative and creative. · Excellent written and oral technical communication skills. 
• Strong organizational and teamwork skills, ability to multi-task. 
• Ability to work in a fast-paced setting under tight deadlines. 
• Knowledgeable in Microsoft Office.

What We Give:

• 100% company-paid medical, dental and vision insurance for employees (PPO, HMO and Kaiser options).
• A 401k plan with company match, short and long-term disability coverage. 
• A generous PTO and sick policy that includes 13+ paid annual holidays. 
• Wellness classes (fitness, mental health, nutrition, finance, etc.). 
• An Employee Assistance Program, including membership for guided meditation for all employees. 
• Monthly tech and wellness reimbursement. 
• An infinite supply of Liquid I.V. for endless hydration!  

Work Environment:

• Hybrid office environment with flexibility for industry events. Travel 20%-30% of the time. 

Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

The expected salary range for this position is $98.400 - $147.600 annually and is bonus eligible. The exact salary is determined by various factors including experience, skills, education, geographic location, internal company equity, and budget.  The listed range is applicable only to the annual base salary and does not include additional perks, benefits, or applicable bonus eligibility comprising the total compensation package.

This job description indicates in general the nature and levels of work, knowledge, skills, abilities and other essential functions expected of the role. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under his/her supervision. Ability to competently perform all the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, demonstrated commitment to the company’s mission, and the ability to work productively as a member of a team or work group are basic requirements of all positions at Liquid I.V.

We are committed to building an inclusive culture of belonging that not only embraces the diversity of our people but also reflects the diversity of the communities in which we work and the customers we serve. We know that the happiest and highest performing teams include people with diverse perspectives that encourage new ways of solving problems, so we strive to attract and develop talent from all backgrounds and create workplaces where everyone feels seen, heard, and empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to work.

Liquid I.V. is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex including sexual orientation and gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.