Staff Meat Scientist

Pay Range: $130,000+ based on experience and qualifications

Summary:

The Staff Meat Scientist supports the technical definition of Home Market Foods' ground and comminuted meat blends. This is a hands-on, deep-technical individual contributor role responsible for identifying, validating, and codifying the formula parameters that govern blend composition, yield, texture, and cost across the company's portfolio.  

The position supports formulation, yield, and equipment performance for measurable, repeatable anchor points particularly as facilities, equipment settings, and raw-material sources evolve. The Staff Meat Scientist translates raw-material variability into controlled, specification-driven blends that deliver consistent quality at planned cost, working at the intersection of procurement and operations.  

Key Responsibilities  

Blend Formulation & Parameter Definition  

• Define the controlling formula parameters for all ground and comminuted meat blends — chemical lean (CL) targets, fat analysis and fat capping, protein, moisture, collagen/connective-tissue limits, and added-ingredient functional levels.  

• Build and maintain least-cost formulation models that optimize across available trim streams (chemical lean) while holding finished-product specifications constant.  

• Establish acceptable substitution ranges and blend tolerances so that raw-material variability can be absorbed without compromising finished-product specification.  

• Translate target eating quality and label requirements into quantitative blend specifications.  

Yield, Cost & Performance Standardization  

• Define, measure, and standardize formulation yields — raw-to-cook yield, purge, shrink, and moisture/fat loss — and establish the baseline metrics against which formula and process changes are evaluated.  

• Partner with the Industrialization team to quantify the cost and yield impact of formulation decisions, providing Procurement with the technical basis for trim-buying and blend-economic trade-offs.  

• Identify the "anchor points" that allow formulation and yield performance to be monitored as standing KPIs.  

Scale-Up & Equipment Validation  

• Lead bench and pilot-plant formulation work and own the transfer of validated formulas to full-scale production.  

• Validate that formulas perform reproducibly on existing and newly installed equipment (grinders, mixers/blenders, emulsion mills, formers), characterizing equipment performance and demonstrated throughput as inputs to the blend specification.  

• Diagnose formulation- and equipment-driven sources of yield loss, texture defects, or quality variance on the production floor, and define corrective specifications.  

• Support the technical evaluation of capital equipment by tying vendor performance and demonstrated rates to formulation and yield outcomes.  

Cross-Functional & Technical Support  

• Provide formulation inputs for new-product development and the Stage Gate process, ensuring new blends are sourceable, manufacturable, and cost-validated.  

• Partner with FSQA and R&D so that blend specifications align with quality, regulatory, and labeling requirements.  

• Document all formula parameters, tolerances, and validation results so that blend knowledge resides in controlled specifications.  

Qualifications  

Required  

• Bachelor's degree in Meat Science, Animal Science, Food Science, or a closely related discipline (advanced degree a plus).  

• Demonstrated hands-on R&D bench and pilot-plant formulation experience with ground or comminuted meat products.  

• Working knowledge of meat blend composition and functionality — chemical lean and fat analysis, least-cost blending, bind/texture, water-holding capacity, pH, and cook yield.  

• Direct experience with plant-floor scale-up and equipment validation — taking a formula from bench to full production and confirming reproducibility on processing equipment.  

• Quantitative orientation: comfort building and interpreting formulation, yield, and cost models.  

• Proven experience of successfully collaborating across multiple functions, especially R&D, FSQA, Procurement, Production and Finance.  

Preferred  

• USDA/FSIS regulatory and labeling fluency (standards of identity, fat/lean labeling, species declaration).  

• Familiarity with raw-material markets and trim grading as they relate to blend economics.  

• Experience standardizing formulation and yield metrics across multiple facilities or equipment configurations.  

• Sensory evaluation experience for meat products.  

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND ENVIRONMENT 

The physical demands and work environment described below are representative of those required to perform this job's essential functions.  

• The role requires good vision, manual dexterity, and the ability to sit or stand for prolonged periods. 

• Preparedness to work in varied environmental conditions, including extreme temperatures and weather conditions, while adhering to safety regulations. 

• Use of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) is mandatory in designated areas of the facility.