Sr. Research and Development Scientist

About Us:

At Cibo Vita, innovation drives everything we do. Based in Totowa, NJ, we craft premium healthy snacks under the Nature’s Garden brand, combining quality ingredients with creative flavor and function. Our products are designed to support wellness, sustainability, and better snacking choices-helping consumers “Snack with Purpose.”

Job Summary:

The Sr. Research and Development Scientist reports directly to the Research & Technical Development Lead and plays a critical role in advancing technical platforms, ingredient research, and process feasibility for snack and confectionery products. This role is responsible for developing scalable scientific solutions that support the company’s innovation pipeline. The position focuses on early-stage formulation science, functionality modeling, and technical risk mitigation prior to commercialization handoff. The Senior R&D Scientist operates within the Technical & Research Team and collaborates closely with the Product Development & Commercialization Team during scale-up and launch readiness phases.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Technical Platform Development

• Support the Research & Technical Development Lead in building and optimizing core technology platforms (e.g., probiotic systems, fiber enriched system, sugar reduction system, hydrocolloid systems, protein enhanced system).

• Conduct ingredient functionality studies to understand structure-function relationships. Develop reusable technical frameworks that enable multiple pipeline products.

1. Advanced Formulation Science

• Design and optimize complex formulations for snack and confectionery applications.

• Investigate texture stability, moisture migration, hydrolysis risks, glass transition behavior, and shelf-life quality indicator.

• Conduct structured root cause analysis for technical performance issues. Translate scientific findings into scalable formulation strategies.

1. Process Feasibility & Risk Mitigation

• Evaluate processing parameters (e.g., heating time, vacuum, Brix, pH, Aw) to ensure technical robustness.

• Identify potential scalability constraints early in development.

• Support pilot-scale validation and collaborate with commercialization teams as needed.

1. Stability Prediction

• Design preliminary accelerated and real-time stability studies.

• Establish quality benchmarks for texture, moisture, color, and API ingredients.

1. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Product Development during transition from research to commercialization.

• Provide technical input to embedded analytical and compliance resources.

• Support supplier technical assessments and ingredient validation.

1. Documentation & Technical Governance

• Maintain accurate and complete formulation documentation in designated systems.

• Develop detailed technical reports and risk assessments for internal review.

Qualifications:

Master’s degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemistry, or related field.

Requirements:

2–4+ years of experience in snack and/or confectionery and/or gummy and/or bars of R&D.

Strong knowledge of hydrocolloids, fiber systems, sugar reduction systems, and moisture control mechanisms.

Experience in pilot plant or manufacturing scale-up environments preferred.

What do we offer:

• Medical, Dental and Vision Benefits

• Life Insurance

• 401K

• PTO

• Company Paid Holidays

• Career advancement and training