Senior Scientist, Beverage

Senior Beverage Scientist at Glanbia

Join this dynamic team focused on delivering better nutrition for every step of life’s journey!

The Opportunity

The Senior Beverage Scientist will lead formulation, scale-up, and commercialization of beverage systems within the Glanbia Flavors portfolio, with deep hands-on expertise in microthermic (MicroThermics®) processing. This role partners cross-functionally with Flavor Creation, Sensory & Consumer Science, Quality, Regulatory, and Operations to deliver best-in-class ready-to-drink (RTD) and concentrated beverage solutions across dairy, plant-based, performance nutrition, hydration, and energy platforms. The ideal candidate brings a strong grasp of thermal processing, stability engineering, and flavor/ingredient interactions to enable rapid prototyping, robust shelf-life, and efficient commercialization.

Key Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end product development for beverages: concepting, bench-top formulation, microthermic runs, pilot, and plant trials through launch.
• Formulate beverage with vitamin-mineral premix.
• Formulate around desired shelf life.
• Design and execute microthermic/UHT/HTST thermal profiles to emulate commercial conditions and predict product performance.
• Translate flavor briefs into scalable beverage systems, optimizing flavor delivery, sweetness, mouthfeel, and masking across bases (dairy, plant, water, protein).
• Build and manage experimental designs (DoE) to screen ingredients, processing parameters, and packaging interactions for stability and sensory quality.
• Lead microthermic lab operations (scheduling, sanitation, CIP/SIP coordination, run documentation, sample retention, and safety compliance).
• Partner with Process Engineering and Operations to define critical control points (CCPs) and tech transfer requirements from lab to pilot/plant.
• Characterize product stability using relevant analytics (viscosity, pH, density, osmolality, phase separation, sedimentation, protein stability, heat stability).
• Collaborate with Sensory & Consumer Science on test design, data interpretation, and product optimization driven by consumer insights.
• Author robust specifications, batch sheets, and process instructions; ensure alignment with QA/QC and Regulatory (labeling, claims, compliance).
• Troubleshoot scale-up issues (fouling, burn-on, phase instability, flavor fade, sweetness drift) and implement corrective actions.
• Maintain a strong external radar on ingredient innovations, processing technologies, and packaging trends; engage key suppliers and equipment OEMs.
• Coach junior scientists and technicians; foster a culture of safety, quality, speed, and documentation excellence.

Microthermic (MicroThermics®) Expertise

• Operate benchtop/pilot MicroThermics® systems (e.g., UHT/HTST, Direct/Indirect, tubular/plate) for dairy and non-dairy beverages.
• Develop and validate thermal profiles (e.g., 135–150°C UHT; 72–95°C HTST) with hold times tailored to product matrices and desired shelf-life.
• Calibrate and verify critical sensors (flow, temperature, pressure) and maintain accurate run logs and material balances.
• Execute CIP/SIP procedures; select cleaning regimes based on soil and protein load to minimize fouling and flavor carryover.
• Simulate commercial processes (homogenization, deaeration, in-line blending) and translate parameters to pilot/plant equipment.
• Implement aseptic techniques for sterile fills; coordinate environmental monitoring and packaging compatibility checks.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Chemical Engineering, or related field (advanced degree preferred).
• 7 or more years in beverage R&D (5 or more with advanced degree) with demonstrated microthermic/UHT experience and successful launches.
• Demonstrated understanding of pre-mix formulation and degradation/stability of vitamins and bioactives.
• Strong formulation skills across proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, hydrocolloids, emulsions, sweeteners, acids, minerals, and flavor systems.
• Working knowledge of colloid science, protein chemistry (dairy and/or plant), emulsion stability, and heat-induced changes.
• Hands-on experience with homogenization, deaeration, inline mixing, carbonation (nice to have), and aseptic techniques.
• Proficiency with DoE/statistics and digital documentation (e.g., ELN, LIMS, PLM); data-driven decision-making.
• Familiarity with relevant regulatory frameworks (FDA, CFR, FSMA/PCQI concepts) and labeling/claims considerations.
• Excellent project leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Preferred Experience

• Experience with high-protein RTD, lactose-free, plant-based milks, energy/hydration, or functional/fortified beverages.
• Knowledge of shelf-life modeling, accelerated stability, and packaging interactions (PET, HDPE, Tetra Pak).
• Supplier and OEM engagement for ingredients (proteins, hydrocolloids, sweeteners) and processing equipment.
• Experience leading tech transfers and commercial scale-ups in North America and/or EU.
• Exposure to sensory methods (triangle, QDA, CATA) and consumer co-creation.

Where And How You Will Work  

• This opportunity will be based at our Valencia, CA location.
• Up to 20% travel for plant trials, supplier visits, and conferences/expos as needed.      

What We Would Like to Offer You 

The opportunity to develop your career on a global stage, continuous learning through an on-demand learning platform, and a competitive compensation package including staff discounts, generous family leave policy, health & dental plan, competitive salary, 401K. Glanbia provides a reasonable range of compensation for roles that may be hired in California. This range may not be applicable to other locations. Factors that could be used to determine your actual salary may include your specific skills, years of experience and comparison to current employees already in this role. Annual salary for CA-based employees for this role is $100,000 to $120,000.

About Glanbia  

Glanbia is a better nutrition company with three divisions: Performance Nutrition, Health & Nutrition and Dairy Nutrition. Collectively and with our partners we offer an incredible breadth of expertise in nutrition. We employ a team of 5800 people, work with global food and beverage companies, and sell our award-winning and market-leading brands and ingredients in more than 100 countries worldwide

At Glanbia, we celebrate diversity, because we know that our individual strengths make us stronger together. We welcome and encourage interest from a variety of candidates, we will give your application consideration, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or disability status.

At Glanbia, our culture celebrates individuality, knowing that together we are more.