R&D Meat Scientist

R&D Meat Scientist Summary: Indiana Packers Corporation (parent company to Qunicy Street Inc.) is looking for a motivated, hands-on R&D Meat Scientist to lead applied research and product development across our value-added portfolio. This position translates technical and culinary concepts into scalable, commercially viable products, leads plant trials, and partners across Operations, Engineering, QA, Sales and Marketing, and Regulatory to bring products from concept through commercialization while meeting quality, food-safety, and regulatory standards. This is an onsite position. The duty station will be near one of IPC's facilities (Delphi, IN; Holland, MI; or Owensboro, KY). Estimated travel will depend on the assigned duty station relative to the plant sites. Responsibilities: - Design and execute applied R&D projects focused on product quality, yield improvement, shelf-life extension, and process optimization - Develop and optimize formulations, processes, and product specifications to meet customer, quality, regulatory, and operational requirements - Lead plant trials and scale-up, troubleshooting processing issues such as bind, emulsion, purge, texture variability, yield, and cook loss - Own precise documentation of formulas, specifications, protocols, and process parameters, and prepare clear technical reports - Partner with Operations, Engineering, QA, Sales and Marketing, and Regulatory to translate business and customer needs into technical solutions - Monitor industry trends, emerging technologies, and competitive products to identify opportunities Education and Experience Requirements: - Bachelor's degree in Meat Science, Food Science, Animal Science, or related discipline; Master's or PhD preferred - 5+ years of hands-on experience in meat / food product development, specifically pork formulation experience preferred - Strong understanding of meat functionality (protein bind, blending, water activity, cook loss, emulsions) and processing systems - Experience in USDA-regulated facilities; working knowledge of USDA-FSIS regulations, HACCP, food-safety management systems, and USDA labeling requirements and standards of identity - Proven ability to translate scientific results into practical, commercial solutions, with strong documentation and communication skills - Experience in pork processing preferred but not required - Additional valued experience (not required): cured, smoked, and further-processed product expertise; sensory evaluation and shelf-life validation; statistical analysis, design of experiments (DOE), and data-driven decision making; and clean-label / ingredient-reduction formulation Other Duties: Please note, this job description is not designated to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties and responsibilities may change at any time with or without notice. About IPC: Indiana Packers Corporation (IPC) is a fully integrated retail, foodservice and private label producer of fresh and processed meats based in Delphi, Indiana. Since the start of operations in 1991, we have experienced rapid growth from a single pork processing company into a multi-plant diversified producer of fresh and processed meats, with locations throughout America's Heartland and revenues of approximately $1.5B. We are best known for our national brand Kentucky Legend (the best-selling boneless ham brand in the United States) as well as several well-known regional brands, including Indiana Kitchen, Fischer's, Field, Mickelberry's, Kentuckian Gold, and Scott Pete. We now have processing facilities i