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ROAR Logistics · 3 days ago

Title Principal Scientist

Buffalo, NY

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level, Lead/Staff

$114K/yr - $170K/yr

5+ years exp

Rich Products Corporation is a family-owned food company dedicated to inspiring possibilities. The Principal Scientist leads global initiatives in fats and oils, emulsions, oleogels, and hydrogels, focusing on innovation, product design, and technical capability building to drive new revenue streams and ensure compliance with global food safety standards.

Freight ServiceLogisticsTransportation

Responsibilities

Lead global initiatives in fats, oils, and emulsion technologies to deliver innovative, scalable product solutions aligned with business growth objectives

Identify and champion new platforms and technologies addressing consumer trends, sustainability goals, and market dynamics, leveraging expertise in fats and oils processing, functionality, and analytical testing

Track emerging trends on alternative fat and oil sources and blends, emulsifiers, oleogels, hydrogels, clean-label formulations, digital manufacturing, and precision fermentation to inform long-term strategies and innovation roadmaps

Convert insights into actionable innovation by partnering with Marketing, Procurement, Food Safety, Quality Assurance (FSQA), Sales, Engineering, and Supply Chain to ensure technical feasibility and commercial viability

Drive cross-functional collaboration to balance technical feasibility, cost efficiency, and market relevance

Enhance global technical capabilities through targeted training, mentorship, and knowledge sharing

Analyze global quality metrics, customer and consumer feedback, and non-conformance trends to drive continuous improvement

Develop global standards, ingredient specifications, and testing methodologies, while staying ahead of evolving regulations and industry best practices

Drive development of new product platforms through advanced scientific and technological innovation

Partner with Legal to define and execute IP strategies for proprietary fats and oils technologies including but not limited to emulsifiers, emulsions, oleogels and hydrogels

Perform patent landscaping and competitive benchmarking to identify white space and strengthen innovation protection

Lead invention disclosures and patent filings for novel processes, alternative fat and oil and emulsifier ingredients, and formulations

Ensure global IP alignment across joint ventures, external partners, and internal teams to safeguard Rich Products’ innovation pipeline, enhance competitive advantage, and support long-term category growth

Provide technical guidance and strategic direction to RIC Innovation teams and Business Units

Implement global technical strategies on fats and oils and emulsions to protect and grow the category

Support Merger & Acquisition (M&A) activities through technical due diligence and capability assessments

Build strong partnerships across Marketing, Procurement, Sales, Operations, and other RIC Centers of Excellence to drive innovative solutions

Represent Rich Products at external scientific and research forums to showcase leadership in fats, oils, and emulsion technologies

Deliver technical training in local markets and support global talent development

Mentor cross-functional teams in design thinking, agile methodologies, and innovation best practices to accelerate product development

Contribute to organizational design and process improvements that enhance R&D efficiency and collaboration

Foster a culture of creativity, collaboration, and continuous learning across global R&D functions

Provide coaching and capability building, with limited supervisory responsibilities

Qualification

Lipid chemistryFatsOils technologyFood safety standardsR&D leadershipAnalytical testingInnovationCommercializationSupplier auditingStrategic thinkingCommunication skillsProblem-solving skillsTeam collaboration

Required

Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D. in Food Science, Food Chemistry, Food Engineering, Food Process Engineering, Food Technology, Material Science, Chemistry or a related field

Bachelor's degree with 10+ years of industrial/applied research experience

Master's degree with 8+ years of industrial/applied research experience

Ph.D. with 5+ years of industrial/applied research experience

Expert in lipid chemistry and functionality, applying deep knowledge of fatty acids, triglycerides, and phospholipids to optimize product performance and manage interfacial behavior in complex food systems

Extensive experience in fats and oils, fats and oils blends, emulsifiers, emulsions, oleogels, hydrogels, and advanced characterization techniques to support innovative formulations

Strong command of global food safety standards (HACCP, GMP, FSMA, GFSI, ISO) to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity

Skilled in supplier auditing and raw material risk management, strengthening supply chain reliability and quality assurance

Demonstrated progressive technical leadership in R&D, innovation, and product development

Strong track record of innovation and commercialization in the food industry

Ability to drive organizational change and foster a culture of innovation

Senior-level technical leadership within R&D innovation teams

Strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving skills

Excellent communication and presentation abilities

Experience working with global and remote teams

Strong business results orientation with a focus on measurable impact

Sound decision-making with a balanced approach to risk and opportunity