Scientist/Associate Senior Scientist/Senior Scientist - Applegate - Research and Development (Bedminster, NJ) - Remote Eligible

SCIENTIST / ASSOCIATE SENIOR SCIENTIST / SENIOR SCIENTIST – APPLEGATE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT (BEDMINSTER, NJ) – REMOTE ELIGIBLE APPLEGATE / HORMEL FOODS CORPORATION To save time applying, Hormel Foods does not offer sponsorship of job applicants for employment-based visas for this position at this time. ABOUT HORMEL FOODS Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minnesota, is a global branded food company with approximately $12 billion in annual revenue across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include   Planters ® , Skippy ® ,   SPAM ® ,   Hormel ®   Natural Choice ® , Applegate ® , Wholly ® , Hormel ®   Black Label ® , Columbus ® , Jennie-O® and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named one of the best companies to work for by U.S. News & World Report, one of America’s most responsible companies by Newsweek, recognized by TIME magazine as one of the World’s Best Companies, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. For more information, visit   www.hormelfoods.com .

Under the general direction of the Senior Director of R&D, the Scientist/Associate Senior Scientist/Senior Scientist is responsible for leading all stages of product and process development. This individual should be a motivated self-starter and collaborative team player with an excellent understanding of the product development process. Ideal candidates will share a passion for innovative meat and food products and demonstrate a desire to pursue smarter ways of making food. The position requires exemplary project management skills with an ability to balance multiple initiatives at one time. This position should be an excellent communicator of Applegate’s vision; capable of positively representing the company, our products and our objectives in a variety of situations both internally and externally. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Independently lead Innovation, Renovation, & Business Continuity projects : Lead R&D projects and new product initiatives from concept through commercialization. Define technical approaches, design and execute experiments, analyze results, manage priorities and risks, and deliver against project scope, cost, and timelines. Pilot & Industrial lead: Plan and lead pilot runs, plant trials, and production start-ups, ensuring product, process, and package requirements are successfully translated from bench development to commercial manufacturing. Cross-functional partner: Serve as R&D category/segment lead to Marketing, Sales, Regulatory, Quality, Food Safety, and Manufacturing, translating consumer, category, and business needs into actionable technical plans. Provide technical leadership to align product design, manufacturing feasibility, regulatory requirements, claims, and commercialization objectives. Advance Innovation and White-Space Opportunities: Drive innovation by leveraging scientific research, industry developments, novel ingredient and packaging technologies, consumer trends, and competitive activity to identify and advance new product and technology opportunities. Plan and conduct sensory evaluations for new and existing products, including evaluation design, panel coordination, virtually or in person, and interpret results, and recommendations for product or process improvements. Solve Complex Technical and Manufacturing Problems: Investigate formulation, processing, sensory, packaging, quality, and manufacturing challenges using structured problem-solving and root-cause analysis to develop practical solutions. Develop Strategic Supplier & Manufacturing Partnerships: Build relationships with and technically evaluate ingredient and packaging suppliers, co-packers, manufacturing partners, Hormel Corporate R&D, and other external partners. Assess capabilities, technologies, process fit, quality, capacity, supply continuity, and