Sr. Product Development Scientist

Position Title: Sr. Product Development Scientist
Position Type: Regular - Full-Time
Grade: Grade 05
Requisition ID: 40015
In every role, McCainers are ambitious, curious, and passionate about creating exceptional work experiences - together. With a customer-first mindset, we make doing business with McCain easy.
About the role .
As a Sr. Product Development Scientist in Global Innovation, you will play a key role in developing, optimizing, and scaling innovative products and platforms across McCain's Potato and Global Snacking categories. You will lead and deliver complex product development projects, applying strong scientific and technical expertise while partnering closely with global and regional stakeholders.
This role requires solid experience in ingredient functionality, formulation, processing, and commercialization. You will contribute to shaping innovation pipelines by translating consumer, customer, and technical insights into feasible and viable product solutions. As a senior individual contributor, you will serve as a trusted technical partner, support capability building within R&D, and represent the voice of Product Development in cross-functional forums.
What you'll be doing .
1. Front-End Innovation & Platform Development

• Contribute to the identification and development of innovation opportunities grounded in consumer, culinary, and technology insights, in partnership with Sensory UX, Insights, Commercial, and Marketing.
• Support the development and evolution of product platforms that can scale across regions and customers.
• Partner with Advanced Technology and Innovation (ATI) to evaluate and apply existing and emerging technologies.
• Translate insights and concepts into technically sound product designs with clear development and feasibility pathways.
• Demonstrate a working understanding of market trends, emerging technologies, and the competitive landscape to inform product and project decisions.

2. Technical & Scientific Leadership

• Lead technical execution of product development projects from formulation through commercialization.
• Apply strong knowledge of ingredient functionality, formulation principles, and processing to solve development challenges.
• Design and execute development and validation work, including DOE, pilot trials, scale-up activities, and commercialization readiness.
• Partner with internal teams (ATI, Engineering, Quality, Procurement) and external suppliers to deliver products that meet key performance, cost, and quality targets.
• Serve as a technical contributor or subject matter expert in assigned technology or product areas.
• Maintain high standards of project documentation, including technical plans, risk assessments, trial summaries, and feasibility reviews.
• Stay current with advancements in food science and ingredient technology through journals, supplier engagement, and professional networks.

3. Project & Portfolio Execution

• Serve as the Product Development technical lead on innovation projects, representing R&D and other Technical functions across cross-functional teams.
• Own technical deliverables, timelines, and risk mitigation plans within assigned projects.
• Proactively identify technical risks and work with the team to develop practical mitigation strategies.
• Ensure alignment between technical execution, project objectives, and business priorities.

4. Collaboration, Influence & Capability Building

• Communicate technical findings and recommendations clearly to cross-functional and regional stakeholders.
• Support and mentor junior scientists and team members through knowledge sharing and on-the-job coaching.
• Collaborate with Culinary and customers to co-create and adapt recipes to meet menu needs and "back-of-house" requirements.
• Lead raw material sourcing, evaluation, improvement, and approval activities in partnership with Procurement.
• Support Commercial and Marketing with technical input for customer presentations and innovation discussions.
• Provide technical support to Manufacturing, Q&FS, Engineering, and Technical Operations to resolve product or process issues.
• Share learnings on trends, ingredients, and new product introductions with the broader Product Development team.

What you'll need to be successful .
Education and Experience

• BS or MS degree in Food Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum 5+ years of relevant experience in product development, preferably within food, CPG, or manufacturing environments.

General Competencies

• Proven ability to independently lead and deliver multiple product development projects.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to translate technical information for non-technical audiences.
• Effective collaborator across regions, functions, and cultures.
• Demonstrates learning agility and openness to new tools, methods, and insights.
• Applies commercial understanding to balance consumer desirability, technical feasibility, and business needs.
• Comfortable working with ambiguity and evolving project scope.
• Well-organized with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Positive, self-motivated, and solution-oriented mindset with a passion for innovation.

R&D Technical Competencies

• Strong capability in experimental design, data interpretation, and scientific rigor.
• Working knowledge of GMP, HACCP, food safety, and the product development lifecycle.
• Knowledge of food laws related to product labeling and nutritional requirements.
• Demonstrates solid technical expertise in formulation, ingredients, and processing; applies data-driven approaches and DOE to optimize development decisions.
• Anticipates and addresses scale-up considerations in partnership with manufacturing and engineering teams.
• Contributes to continuous improvement in development practices and technical standards.

About McCain .
Click Here to learn more about McCain and how we provide you with opportunities to make an impact that matters.
Leadership principles .
At McCain, our leadership principles guide how we engage with customers, collaborate as a team, and achieve success. We focus on understanding customer needs, driving innovation, empowering people, and taking ownership to clear obstacles and deliver results.
The McCain experience .
We are McCain. This statement is a testament to our collective strength and our individual value. Your contributions play a vital role in our success. Our winning culture is rooted in authenticity and trust, empowering us to bring out the best in one another. Here, you'll find opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive. Join us and experience why we're better together.
Our purpose is grounded in building meaningful relationships. We're big believers in the power of working together in person-it helps us stay connected, collaborate more effectively, and grow as a team. At the same time, we recognize the importance of flexibility. Most office-based roles follow a hybrid model, with the option to work remotely two days a week. There may be exceptions depending on the role and location, so we encourage you to speak with your recruiter for more details.
Compensation Package : $85,500.00 - $114,000.00 . USD annually + Bonus eligibility
The above reflects the target compensation range for the position at the time of posting. Hiring compensation will be determined based on experience, skill set, education and training, and other organizational needs.
Benefits: At McCain, we're on a mission to create a winning culture that puts employee safety and well-being at the heart of what we do, every day. We understand and appreciate that each person's needs are unique and ensure our benefits & well-being programs reflect that. Employees are eligible for the following benefits: health coverage (medical, dental, vision, prescription drug), retirement savings benefits, and leave support including medical, family and bereavement. Well-being programs include vacation and holidays, company-supported volunteering time, and mental health resources. Coverages are aligned with country, provincial and state governing plans and can vary by work level, location and nature of the role. Additional benefit detail available during the application process.
Your well-being matters to us, and we're here to provide you with the necessary resources to support you in being your best self at work - and at home.
McCain Foods is an equal opportunity employer. As a global family-owned company, we strive to be the employer of choice in the diverse communities around the world in which we live and work. We recognize that inclusion drives our creativity, resilience, and success and makes our business stronger. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.
McCain is an accessible employer. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process (including alternate formats of materials or accessible meeting rooms), please let us know and we will work with you to find appropriate solutions.
Your privacy is important to us. By submitting personal data or information to us, you agree that this will be handled in accordance with McCain's Global Privacy Policy and Global Employee Privacy Policy , as applicable. You can understand how your personal information is being handled here.
Job Family: Research & Development
Location(s): US - United States of America : Wisconsin : Appleton || US - United States of America : Illinois : Oakbrook Terrace
Company: McCain Foods USA, Inc.