Sr. Scientist, Research - R&D

Work Location: ​Chicago​

Due to the highly interactive and team-based nature of this role, in-person attendance for most of the workweek (i.e., 3 days or more) is essential for: effective communication including during in-person meetings, strong supervision, real-time problem-solving, and participation in cross-functional initiatives.

Want to make an impact?

The Senior Scientist, Product Development, will make a direct impact on Ferrara’s innovation and growth agenda by leading the development and commercialization of new and improved candy products across beloved brands such as Nerds, Trolli, and Jelly Belly. This role is ideal for a technically curious, highly motivated product developer who thrives on turning ideas into market-ready products and delivering excellence across every stage of the product development lifecycle.

With responsibility for high-impact projects of meaningful complexity and scope, this individual will lead product development from concept through scale-up and commercialization, ensuring solutions are technically robust, consumer-relevant, and operationally feasible. Through strong cross-functional collaboration and disciplined technical execution, the Senior Scientist will help bring breakthrough innovation to life, optimize existing products, and support Ferrara’s continued expansion across the network.

Join us at a defining moment

This is an opportunity to play a critical role in shaping the products that will power Ferrara’s future at our new production site. We’re building the largest food manufacturing facility in our network in Orangeburg, SC. This is a bold investment that will set new standards for scale, technology, and efficiency.

Ways you will make a difference

• Independently leads innovation, renovation or brand maintenance projects with moderate to high complexity, owning the technical development plan and communication with relevant stakeholders, from initial concept development to scale-up to commercialization.
• Manages multiple priorities at a given time by engaging with Manager to effectively communicate risks and tradeoffs. Leads the creation of technical risk assessments for product development.
• Possesses a strong understanding of the innovation process and is able to apply effectively to drive projects forward in the commercialization process with executional excellence and on-time delivery of milestones.
• Applies technical problem solving for challenges of medium to high complexity to effectively manage risks and provide contingency plans to achieve success
• Develops new product formulas of a moderate to high complexity on a bench scale and effectively scales up to pilot plant and industrial plant scale to provide technical validation.
• Collaborates with Operations, Quality, Industrial Design, and Process Engineering staff to problem solve and suggest innovative solutions.
• Consistently utilizes technically sound methodology and problem-solving tools to design experiments and test new ideas.
• Leads continuous improvement/optimization of current products according to business needs, supply situation and/or manufacturing expansion plans.
• Observes, evaluates, and concisely and accurately documents experimental data and results leading to robust technical recommendations as well as risk identification.
• Provides strong cross-functional partnership with Marketing, Operations, Consumer Insights, Industrial Design, Process Engineering, Project Management, Quality, Food Safety, and Procurement teams to ensure an efficient and successful project execution.
• Effectively communicates project status updates directly with key stakeholders and cross-functional partners with project reports and product showcases.

• Spends majority of time on-site in Ferrara’s Innovation Lab and pilot plant (60-100% of the time).
• Travels, both domestically and internationally (25-50% travel based on project status).
• Ensures adherence to all company policies and procedures.

Skills that will make you successful

• Product development capability, with proven track record of delivering results across all phases of product development project cycle from concept development to commercial industrial execution
• Technology understanding in both ingredient technology and process technology in consumer packaged foods (ideally candy confections) and ability to apply to product development
• Technical problem solving in applying knowledge of ingredient & process technology to novel problems to bring forward technically sound solutions that effectively manage risks
• Experience in new product development innovation, including ability to translate innovation concepts into prototypes and then effectively sc