Technology Scout Innovation IFF TASTE

Ready to discover cutting edge science breakthroughs and turn it into winning Taste innovations?
IFF is a global leader in flavors, fragrances, food ingredients and health & biosciences. We deliver sustainable innovations that elevate everyday products.
Taste: Crafting unique, technology-enabled flavor designs that define the identity of food and beverage brands, shape trends in flavor creation, and fuel market success.
It is an exciting time to be part of IFF’s Taste Innovation team as the Technology Scout. Work closely with our internal R&D and IC&D teams to identify Open Innovation opportunities.

The Technology Scout will accelerate science-to-market and drive growth of the Taste portfolio through technology advancement.

This role requires a strong scientific background, excellent communication skills, and a strategic, forward-looking mindset. You will connect innovation teams with external science, assess new Taste ingredients and technologies, and identify potential partnerships and acquisitions.

Alongside strong technical communication, negotiation skills and the ability to close deals are essential. The primary focus is to identify, evaluate, and manage opportunities that accelerate the innovation roadmap and support growth objectives.

Key Areas

• Stay updated on industry developments, review publications, and engage with experts

• Participate in conferences, university symposiums, and trade shows

• Engage with universities, research centers, start-ups, and mid-sized companies

• Use modern tools to track innovations and uncover opportunities

• Explore company innovation pipelines

• Use Technology Landscape Reports to assess trends and identify breakthroughs

• Ensure opportunities align with organizational strategy

Where You’ll Make a Difference

• Identify major industry topics in line with the business unit strategy, in collaboration with Global Innovation Program Directors and R&D Directors.

• Identify and quantify drivers of change in established and adjacent target markets, including new regulations, technological disruption, and value enablers.

• Define technological solution sets to meet customer needs in current and future markets, support market strategy development, and effectively communicate technology trends, gaps, unmet needs, and program status to key stakeholders.

• Build teams and work collaboratively with scientists, engineers, business leaders, and strategy teams.

• Assess the viability range for emerging technologies by evaluating performance, cost, scalability, manufacturability, and profitability across different regulatory scenarios and markets.

• Define and execute projects to advance emerging technologies to market through research, validation, and laboratory and pilot testing.

• Collaborate with external partners (e.g., suppliers, customers, universities, startups, agencies, and ecosystem partners) to execute research, license technology, validate solutions, complete pilots, and develop commercial partnerships.

• Develop and manage global university relationships, acting as the main point of contact and guiding engagement strategies to maximize impact.

• Engage stakeholders to define IFF’s position, deliver reports on the technology landscape (including market drivers, opportunities, risks, and recommendations), and contribute to thought leadership through presentations, publications, panels, and social platforms.

What Makes You the Right Fit

• Ph.D. or MSc degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) field.

• 10+ years of relevant experience in the flavor or related industry.

• Experience working with university researchers and technology transfer offices, including IP/patent filing and/or review.

• Strong business acumen with experience developing and executing strategy.

• Effective communication across multiple levels, with technical fluency to engage university professors, customers, colleagues (technical and non-technical), management, and senior leadership.

• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to distill complex topics into concepts understandable by a general audience.

• Experience conducting quantitative and qualitative market research (e.g. venture funding analyses, market maps, competitive insights, SWOT analyses, product deep dives).

• Ability to conduct independent, self-directed research, including proposal generation and defense, while collaborating effectively in a team environment.

• Manage the day-to-day execution of technology assessment efforts, including comparing alternatives, characterizing and quantifying performance, and developing requirements based on mission needs.

Why Choose Us?

• Shape the future of Taste innovation by working at the intersection of science, technology, and market strategy in a global, innovation-focused organization.

• Collaborate across a powerful global ecosystem including scientists, startups, universities, and industry partners to bring breakthrough ideas to life.

• Strong emphasis on career development, internal mobility, and career progression at IFF

• Enjoy attractive compensation and benefits designed to promote your well-being. 

We are a global leader in taste, scent, and nutrition, offering our customers a broader range of natural solutions and accelerating our growth strategy. At IFF, we believe that your uniqueness unleashes our potential. We value the diverse mosaic of the ethnicity, national origin, race, age, sex, or veteran status. We strive for an inclusive workplace that allows each of our colleagues to bring their authentic self to work regardless of their religion, gender identity & expression, sexual orientation, or disability.

Visit IFF.com/careers/workplace-diversity-and-inclusion to learn more