[Hiring] Sensory & Formulation Food Scientist @Dr. Berg Nutritionals

Role Description

Dr. Berg Nutritionals is building a new line of clean-label food products — crackers, spice blends, dressings, dry goods, and more — sourced from our own greenhouse and formulated without grains, seed oils, refined sugars, or artificial ingredients. The challenge is not just making healthy food; it's making healthy food that people actually prefer over junk food alternatives. We want the same crunch, the same mouthfeel, the same flavor satisfaction — built from ingredients we stand behind.

We're looking for a Sensory & Formulation Food Scientist who understands the mechanics of why conventional food is addictive and can reverse-engineer those qualities using clean, whole-food ingredients. This is the person who takes a concept from Dr. Berg's kitchen to a shelf-stable, scalable, commercially viable product without compromising quality.

Job Duties & Responsibilities

• Product Development & Formulation
  • Develop and iterate on clean-label formulations for crackers, spice blends, dressings, dry goods, and other product categories as they emerge.
  • Engineer texture, mouthfeel, and crunch to match or exceed conventional competitors — using no grains, no seed oils, no refined sugars, and no artificial additives.
  • Build flavor systems and seasoning blends that deliver the same reward and satisfaction as commercial products, using real herbs, spices, and whole-food ingredients (many sourced from our greenhouse).
  • Prototype rapidly. Test internally. Iterate based on feedback. Move from concept to shelf-ready formulation.
• Sensory Science & Consumer Experience
  • Apply sensory science principles to product design: taste, aroma, texture, appearance, and the overall eating experience.
  • Design and run internal tasting panels and feedback loops to evaluate products before they go to market.
  • Understand why junk food works — salt/fat/sugar layering, crunch mechanics, mouth-coating, flavor release timing — and replicate those dynamics with clean ingredients.
• Ingredient Sourcing & Scaling
  • Work with our greenhouse team and sourcing partners to identify and qualify ingredients that meet Dr. Berg's standards.
  • Ensure formulations are scalable from test kitchen to co-packer production without quality loss.
  • Manage water activity, shelf stability, packaging requirements, and any regulatory or labeling needs for finished products.
• Collaboration & Knowledge Transfer
  • Work directly with Dr. Berg to translate his nutritional philosophy into product specifications.
  • Collaborate with marketing and content teams to provide technical backing for product claims, ingredient stories, and educational content.
  • Document all formulations, processes, and test results so the product line can scale beyond a single person.

Qualifications

• Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Sensory Science, or a closely related field (UC Davis, Cornell, Rutgers, Cal Poly, or equivalent programs).
• 3+ years of hands-on R&D experience developing consumer food products, ideally in clean-label, better-for-you, or functional food categories.
• Deep understanding of texture engineering — how to achieve crunch, snap, chew, and creaminess through ingredient selection and process design.
• Working knowledge of flavor chemistry: how seasoning blends, fat carriers, acid balance, and Maillard reactions interact to create satisfying flavor profiles.
• Experience taking a product from bench-top prototype through co-packer production and commercial launch.
• Comfort working in a fast-moving, founder-led environment where speed and iteration matter more than corporate process.

Preferred

• Experience at a clean-label CPG brand (Primal Kitchen, Hu Kitchen, Siete Foods, Simple Mills, RXBAR, Base Culture, or similar).
• Formal sensory science training or experience running consumer panels and sensory evaluations.
• Knowledge of grain-free, keto-friendly, or low-carb formulation constraints.
• Background in spice blending, dressing/sauce formulation, or dry goods (not just baked goods).
• Understanding of health-claim compliance (FDA, FTC) as it relates to food labeling and marketing.

Compensation

• Rate: $50 - $110/hour, based on experience and scope of engagement
• Location: Fully remote within the United States
• Type: Independent Contractor
• Hours: Flexible; specific commitment to be defined based on project scope
• Hiring eligibility: We are not currently engaging contractors based outside the U.S.
• Applicants must be able to ship products easily and quickly within the U.S.