Lead Commercialization Scientist
2/17/2026
This role involves leading the commercialization of sauces, dressings, marinades, and culinary bases from R&D formulas to full-scale production, requiring optimization of emulsions, viscosity, and flavor stability. Key duties include conducting plant trials, troubleshooting processing issues, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards like FDA/USDA.
Working Hours
40 hours/week
Company Size
51-200 employees
Language
English
Visa Sponsorship
No
Description
Legacy Foods – Sauces, Dressings & Culinary Systems
Position Overview
Legacy Foods is seeking a highly motivated Commercialization & Food Scientist with
5+ years of experience in sauces, dressings, and liquid food systems. This role bridges
R&D, operations, procurement, QA, and sales to successfully scale products from
benchtop to commercial production.
The ideal candidate understands emulsion systems, thermal processing, shelf-stable
and refrigerated applications, and has hands-on plant experience bringing products to
market for retail and foodservice customers.
Key Responsibilities
Product Development & Scale-Up
? Lead commercialization of sauces, dressings, marinades, and culinary bases
from pilot to full production.
? Translate R&D formulas into manufacturable, cost-effective production formulas.
? Optimize emulsions (oil-in-water, dairy, egg-based), viscosity systems, and flavor
stability.
? Conduct plant trials, first productions, and validation runs.
? Troubleshoot processing issues (separation, viscosity drift, color shift, pH
variance).
Process & Manufacturing Support
? Collaborate with operations on batching procedures, thermal processing (retort,
hot fill)
? Validate kill steps and ensure compliance with FDA/USDA requirements.
? Develop and maintain production SOPs, batch sheets, and scale-up
documentation.
? Improve yields, reduce waste, and support continuous improvement initiatives.
Regulatory & Quality
? Ensure formulas meet FSMA, HACCP, and labeling regulations.
? Partner with QA on shelf-life studies (ambient and refrigerated).
? Review ingredient specifications and approve alternates with procurement.
? Maintain allergen control and documentation accuracy.
Customer & Cross-Functional Support
? Support sales with technical insights for customer presentations.
? Interface with national QSR, chain restaurant, and retail customers.
? Translate customer briefs into scalable, margin-aligned formulations.
? Manage timelines from concept approval to commercialization launch.
Preferred Experience
? Experience commercializing for national chains (QSR or casual dining).
? Knowledge of clean label reformulation strategies.
? Experience with high-protein or functional sauce systems.
? Familiarity with co-manufacturing environments.
Key Competencies
? Detail-oriented with strong documentation discipline
? Strong sensory evaluation skills
? Cost-conscious formulation mindset
? Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
? Hands-on, solutions-driven approach in plant environments
What Success Looks Like
? Successful commercialization of 8–15 products annually
? Reduced first-run deviations
? Improved yield and ingredient cost optimization
? Strong cross-functional collaboration with Operations and Sales
? On-time, on-budget product launches
Requirements
? Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, or related field (Master’s
preferred).
? Minimum 5 year’s experience in sauces, dressings, condiments, or liquid food
systems.
? Strong understanding of:
? Emulsification systems (lecithin, egg yolk, modified starches,
hydrocolloids)
? pH control and acidified foods
? Thermal processing (hot fill, retort, pasteurization)
? Water activity and shelf stability
? Experience with ERP systems and specification management.
? Plant-scale troubleshooting experience required.
? Strong project management and cross-functional communication skills.
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