Food Scientist

📋 Description

• • Own the full lifecycle of recipe design for Ollie’s fresh-cooked, gently-baked, and treat lines—translating AAFCO nutritional standards, clinical insights, and real-world owner feedback into crave-worthy, health-forward meals for dogs of every life stage, breed, and special need.
• • Balance the art and science of formulation: hit precise macro- and micro-nutrient targets while optimizing palatability, texture, aroma, yield, cost, and environmental impact—then document every gram, percent, and process parameter in bullet-proof tech packs that scale flawlessly at co-manufacturing partners.
• • Curate and continuously evolve Ollie’s Approved Ingredient List—evaluating novel proteins, functional fibers, sustainable co-products, and natural preservatives; defining usage levels, functional roles, and substitution matrices that keep us ahead of supply-chain volatility and regulatory change.
• • Design and execute bench-top, pilot, and factory-scale trials using DOE and statistical analysis to validate nutrition, digestibility, sensory, and shelf-life performance; travel up to 50 % to partner facilities to troubleshoot variability, lock in critical-to-quality attributes, and ensure every batch meets label claims.
• • Translate consumer sentiment, digital health-screening data, and veterinary outcomes into evidence-based formulation tweaks—partnering with Marketing Insights, Data Science, and Customer Care to turn wagging tails and vet reports into measurable product improvements.
• • Build and maintain gold-standard specifications for raw materials, premixes, and finished goods—nutrient targets, micro-chemical limits, texture KPIs, and sensory benchmarks—while partnering with FSQA to set CCPs, COAs, and rapid-release testing protocols that protect brand trust.
• • Drive value-engineering initiatives—right-sizing protein and mineral overages, optimizing premix strategies, and piloting up-cycled or regenerative ingredients—to cut cost and carbon footprint without ever compromising canine health or owner delight.
• • Author regulatory-ready documentation—formula BOMs, spec sheets, change-control logs, and substantiation dossiers—ensuring every “natural,” “complete & balanced,” or functional claim is bullet-proof under AAFCO, FDA, and state feed regulations.
• • Collaborate cross-functionally with Procurement, Packaging, Operations, and Creative to align formulation decisions with sourcing realities, packaging formats, storytelling claims, and launch timelines—turning complex science into clear, compelling narratives for pet parents.
• • Champion a culture of continuous learning—mentoring junior scientists, sharing literature reviews, and piloting new analytical techniques (e.g., in-vitro digestibility models, volatile flavor analysis) that keep Ollie at the leading edge of pet nutrition innovation.
• • Celebrate wins and learn from misses in a fast-paced, feedback-rich environment that values curiosity, kindness, and the shared mission of helping every dog live its longest, happiest life.