Product Developer / Food Scientist

About the Role
We’re looking for a hands-on, solutions-oriented Food Scientist with a deep curiosity for plant-based systems and a knack for translating benchtop formulations into scalable, high-quality products. Qualified candidates will have hands-on baking/baking application experience as well as an ability to branch out to other products.  You’ll work closely with R&D, Culinary, Manufacturing, and Marketing to ensure our products deliver on taste, functionality, and performance in real-world baking environments.

What You'll Do

• Lead product development for Just Flour and baked goods applications, from bench-top experiments through commercialization
• Work closely with Sales and Marketing to develop novel baking formulations for all Just ingredients.
• Apply baking science and formulation expertise to optimize functionality, texture, and stability of products using plant proteins and novel ingredients
• Conduct experimental testing to evaluate ingredient performance in products, such as water uptake, dough volumetry, viscometry, rheology, gluten replacement strategies, starch/protein interactions, and performance under different SOPs and processing conditions
• Translate lab results into scalable formulations, working closely with process engineers and manufacturing partners
• Partner with Culinary and Marketing teams to validate sensory, nutritional, and consumer acceptance of new products
• Generate and maintain technical documentation, including specifications, SOPs, and trial reports
• Stay current on bakery innovation, ingredient technologies, and sustainability trends to inform product strategy
• Take detailed records of all formulations, allowing to follow the path from first formulation to final product.

Who You Are

• BS or MS in Food Science, Baking Science, Food Engineering, or a related field
• Minimum 3, ideally 5+ years of experience including hands-on bakery product development (four, dough, breads, pastries, gluten-free or plant-based baking preferred)
• Strong understanding of ingredient functionality in bakery systems (starches, proteins, hydrocolloids, leavening systems, fats, and sweeteners)
• Demonstrated ability to innovate with novel ingredients while meeting commercial manufacturing requirements
• Experience with experimental design, rheology testing, and sensory evaluation
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate cross-functionally
• Passion for sustainability, food innovation, and Eat Just’s mission

Bonus If You Have

• Experience launching products from benchtop to shelf
• Familiarity with food safety standards and regulatory requirements for USDA- or FDA-regulated products
• Prior work in a startup or high-growth food company

The total package

We develop our salaries using market data, internal benchmarks, and candidate experience to ensure fairness and competitiveness. All full-time team members receive:

• Base salary
• Equity in Eat Just
• Up to 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision benefits
• Additional health, wellness, and time-off programs

Compensation: The expected base salary range for this role (based in Alameda, CA) is $135,000 - $175,000.

Additional Information & Requirements

This is a full-time role based in the Bay Area with a minimum 5 days onsite requirement at our headquarters in Emeryville, CA

This role requires unrestricted domestic and international travel required up to 15%.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. Eat Just, Inc. participates in E-Verify.