Application Specialist R&D (Food Science)

Location: Chicago Innovation Center Campus, Illinois, United States. Onsite work includes industrial bakery production lines, customer locations, laboratory activities, and travel of up to 70%.

Salary: $75,000–$107,813 per year, plus a targeted 20% annual bonus.

Company

hirify.global develops food ingredients and services for the bakery, patisserie, and chocolate sectors, serving customers in more than 100 countries.

What you will do

• Develop and implement new products, bread concepts, and technical solutions on industrial bakery production lines.
• Lead troubleshooting activities at customer bakeries and respond to technical production challenges.
• Support sales by identifying business opportunities, products at risk, and appropriate existing or new solutions.
• Prepare internal and external presentations, seminars, technical reports, and other technical documentation.
• Build expertise and networks with customers, equipment suppliers, researchers, vendors, and the international R&D community.
• Design standardized baking tests and maintain laboratory performance in line with 5S, GMP, food safety, and quality procedures.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science or a related field.
• At least 5 years of hands-on experience in industrial bakery production.
• Understanding of ingredient functionality and interactions.
• Proficiency with standard Windows applications, including Excel.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, analytical thinking, customer orientation, networking, and project management skills.
• Ability to travel up to 70% and perform physical work, including lifting up to 55 lbs regularly and exposure to production-site conditions.

Culture & Benefits

• Purpose-driven work focused on food innovation, health, and well-being.
• Insurance coverage begins on the first day of the month with no additional waiting period.
• Immediate 401(k) eligibility with a fully vested matching contribution.
• More than five weeks of paid time off during the first year.
• Life and disability insurance, health exams, free life coaches, and 24/7 access to registered nurses.