Fruit Juice R&D Senior Developer

About the role

Job Description Summary: Our approach to business starts with facts grounded in science, driven by a passion to build a better shared future for people, communities, and our planet. Within the Fruit Juice category , our scientists play a critical role in delivering authentic, safe, and high‑quality juice products that meet evolving consumer expectations and regulatory requirements. We are seeking a Product Development Scientist with strong fruit juice expertise to support the execution of new product development and renovation initiatives across juice, nectar, and juice drink portfolios . This role will contribute to building a robust innovation pipeline by translating fruit‑based concepts into scalable, commercially viable products. The ideal candidate has a deep understanding of fruit systems, juice processing, sensory, and ingredient functionality , and the ability to lead and mentor lab‑based developers from ideation through commercialization. What You'll Do for Us Develop lab‑scale juice, nectar, and juice drink prototypes , including fruit juice blends, reduced‑sugar and functional juice concepts, and beverages with varying juice content levels; support pilot plans for beverage bases and finished products. Prepare juice beverages and conduct sensory and analytical evaluations (taste, aroma, color, mouthfeel), following established sensory guidelines; support taste panel qualification and calibration with emphasis on fruit flavor profiling. Design, produce, and evaluate product prototypes against concept briefs, nutritional targets, regulatory juice standards, and performance specifications . Provide subject‑matter expertise for fruit juice processing and scale‑up , including support during production trials with plants and bottling partners (e.g., juice handling, blending, thermal processing, aseptic/HPP where applicable). Perform chemical and physical analyses using instrumental methods to assess juice composition (e.g., Brix, acidity, pulp, color, cloud stability, vitamin retention); prepare samples and sampling plans for ingredients, intermediates, and finished products. Design, execute, and review experiments to deliver new juice products or renovations; evaluate ingredient performance, product safety, shelf‑life, stability, and nutritional or functional claims relevant to fruit‑based beverages. Write clear, detailed, and accurate technical reports and summaries to support data‑based decision‑making under tight timelines for senior management. Collaborate cross‑functionally with Marketing, Quality, Regulatory, Procurement, Operations, and Commercialization teams to ensure alignment from idea generation through formula finalization. Leverage scientific knowledge, supplier partnerships, and external literature to innovate in fruit juice systems , including sweetener optimization, flavor masking, clouding systems, and clean‑label solutions. Apply food science principles related to fruit ingredients, juice concentrates, puree, packaging interactions, and processing to ensure safe, high‑quality, and compliant products. Participate in commercialization and scale testing at manufacturing or bottling lines, partnering closely with QA and commercialization teams. Lead project and technical review meetings within the Juice Category , working cross‑functionally with marketing, customer teams, and technical stakeholders. Coach, mentor, and develop technicians, students, and junior product developers , strengthening juice category technical capability within R&D. Qualifications & Requirements Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry, or related field required; Master's degree or PhD preferred. 8+ years of successful product development experience in the beverage industry , with strong preference for fruit juice, nectar, or juice drink categories . Project Management: Demonstrated ability to plan, manage, and execute R&D projects from concept to commercialization, delivering results on time and within scope. Fruit Juice & Ingredients Expertise: In‑depth knowledge of fruit juices, concentrates, purees, pulp, natural flavors, sweeteners, acids (citric, malic), stabilizers, preservatives, vitamins, and minerals commonly used in juice systems. Understanding of juice quality parameters (Brix/acid ratio, color, cloud stability, flavor authenticity, shelf‑life). Juice & Beverage Manufacturing: Knowledge of non‑carbonated beverage processing , including blending, pasteurization, aseptic processing, filling, and storage. Ability to support production trials and communicate effectively with plant and bottling teams. Sensory & Flavor Chemistry: Working knowledge of flavor chemistry relevant to fruit systems , including essential oils, aroma compounds, oxidation reactions, and flavor stability. Practical experience in sensory evaluation and interpretation for juice products. Regulatory & Quality Awareness: Familiarity with juice labeling, juice content regulations, and food safe