Senior Scientist, Research & Development- Sweet Baked Snacks

J.M. Smucker Co • Columbus, OH

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

Your Opportunity as the Senior Scientist, Research & Development-Sweet Baked Snacks Lead high‑impact applied research and development work from concept to scale‑up—designing experiments, generating and analyzing data, and translating insights into clear, actionable recommendations for cross‑functional partners. Serve as the process engineering lead for Sweet Baked Snacks, shaping project briefs and influencing product evolution from the ground up. Plan and execute a wide range of technical activities with a strong sense of ownership, thriving both independently and as part of a collaborative team. Drive innovation in our Sweet Baked Snacks portfolio through hands‑on work in our labs, pilot plant, manufacturing floor, and even directly with consumers. Location: Orrville, OH - Hybrid 60% or more in office presence as business need requires Work Arrangements: Ability to travel up to 30% - 50% annually (travel frequency dependent on projects and product launch pipeline).

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Engineering
• 8 + years of experience in process development or operations technical support within CPG
• Experience in food processing
• Experience designing and executing experiments (DOE) and generating data to identify and mitigate process development and scale up risks
• Experience leading technical teams in process engineering
• Able to read/understand/revise technical drawings and provide input based on specifications, feasibility, manufacturability, and compliance with industry regulations and quality standards
• Ability to manage projects cross functionally including management of costs, schedules and resources
• Proven leadership skills in confidently managing through ambiguity
• Passion for coaching and mentoring others
• Ability to lift up to 30 lbs

Responsibilities

• Lead the development, scale-up, and commercialization of Innovation, Renovation & Value Engineering initiatives.
• Develop commissioning plan and lead commissioning while supporting Operations with qualification of new product & process technologies, as well as improving existing process technologies.
• Apply fundamental engineering principles – mass & energy balances, heat transfer, designed experimentation & data analyses, process flow diagrams etc for appropriate decision making and documentation for knowledge capture.
• Interface with equipment suppliers, service providers, manufacturing facilities and relevant business functions, including marketing and supply chain, to achieve goals.
• Design and execute experiments at both supplier sites, in lab, in pilot plant, and in plant operations.
• Validate improvements/corrective actions that will deliver the desired benefits.
• Collect, r eview and summarize trial and commissioning results, provide updates and go-forward recommendations to the project teams and internal & external stakeholders.
• Participate as an active member of cross-functional project teams comprised of individuals from a variety of disciplines, including Marketing, Finance, Operations, Engineering, Procurement, Co-pack and QA to scale successful processes to commercial production scale.
• Perform additional R&D duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level