Food Scientist - Lipids

"We're a tight-knit group dedicated to protecting the planet using tech, plants & unherd of flavors."

We eat the meats we do not because they are the tastiest, but because they are the easiest to industrialize. There is an inverse relationship between industrializing animals for meat processing and how delicious your steak, lamb chop, or ham is. Like humans, animals are what they eat—so the ones who graze freely in nature beget better flavors. We are experts at recreating wild and heritage flavors using plant-based sources. We now want to become experts at structured fats and emulsion formulation, and that's where Ewe (yes, you) come in. We are looking for a food scientist focused on creating novel solutions for plant-based fat replacement and lipid-soluble flavor incorporation in plant-based meat.
You will work closely with a small team of food scientists at our R&D kitchen in San Francisco to develop and modify the appearance of our plant-based meat products. Successful individuals will be self-motivated, organized, and detail-oriented. We are looking for a candidate with a depth of knowledge in emulsion formulation, structured fat development, and/or fat-soluble flavor encapsulation.

Key Responsibilities:
● Work closely with the hydrocolloids team to develop new methodologies for integration of fat into plant-based meats, including the design of new structured fats.
● Design, manage, and execute experiments to understand how structured fats and emulsions break down during cooking or the freeze-thaw process.
● Collaborate with the team to interpret sensory results and optimize the formulation to target the desired mouthfeel, juiciness, and flavor profile.
● Interpret data and provide formulation solutions to advance lipid-soluble flavor development and their encapsulation/release dynamics.
● Use analytical tools to understand lipid release kinetics, degradation, oxidation, and/or flavor outcomes

Qualifications:
● PhD or MS with 5+ years experience. Degree in food science, material science, physics or biophysics, chemistry, physical chemistry, biological or chemical engineering, or a related field.
● Prior experience working on food product development; experience working on plant-based products is a plus.
● Expertise in emulsion formulation, properties that affect their kinetics of formation and breakdown, particularly under thermal stress.
● Experience working with fatty acids and their sensory profiles upon release is a plus.
● Strong understanding of lipid characterization techniques, functionality, and processing, with experience in plant-based food matrices a plus.
● Drive to communicate clearly and function well as part of a multidisciplinary team.

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