Our client, a high-growth functional beverage brand, is looking for a Food Scientist with deep RTD beverage formulation experience to join their Product Development team. This is not a generalist food science role. They need someone who has personally developed and launched canned or liquid beverage products through a co-manufacturer to retail shelf — and who understands the distinct science, validation requirements, and quality standards that liquid beverage formats demand.

You will own RTD formulation from the ground up: formula development, co-manufacturing qualification, sensory validation at commercial scale, and cross-functional alignment with Regulatory and Quality on claims, specs, and compliance. You will also contribute to the company's powdered instant lineup as a technical resource on formulation science across formats.

This role reports directly to the Senior Manager of New Product Development and will work closely with Regulatory, Quality, Ops, and the Lab Team.

What You'll Own

RTD Platform Development

• Lead formula development for the company's 2027 RTD product launch — from concept through co-manufacturing qualification and commercial production
• Own formulation science for liquid beverage formats: emulsification, pH buffering, pasteurization kill steps, headspace management, and ambient vs. cold chain stability
• Assist with the RTD co-manufacturing qualification process — technical evaluation, formula alignment, fill-line troubleshooting, and QC standards
• Support ingredient sourcing for RTD-specific inputs in partnership with Supply Chain

Validation and Quality Standards

• Design and implement formal ingredient validation protocols for both RTD and powdered formats — including backup supplier qualification checklists that meet retail audit standards
• Partner with Quality and Sensory to build written sensory specifications for all retail-bound SKUs, creating objective pass/fail gates that can be used without your direct involvement
• Support third-party lab testing programs — defining what gets tested, interpreting results, and working with Regulatory and Quality on action thresholds
• Contribute to formula change review triggers — helping define when a formula adjustment requires regulatory review before it ships

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work with Regulatory to ensure active ingredient dosage levels in RTD and powdered formulas are aligned with claim substantiation requirements before formulation work begins
• Partner with Marketing and company leadership during brief development to ensure ingredient levels and format decisions are commercially viable and scientifically sound
• Contribute to the company's stage-gate process — building the technical documentation that allows projects to advance through gates with confidence
• Support backup ingredient reformulation decisions with science-backed validation data, working cross-functionally with Quality and Regulatory before product ships

What We're Looking For

Non-Negotiable Requirements

• Minimum 3–7 years of experience in beverage formulation
• Proven track record of personally developing and launching a canned or liquid beverage product through a co-manufacturer to retail shelf — not advisory, not supporting — you owned it
• Deep technical knowledge of liquid beverage chemistry
• Hands-on co-manufacturing experience — you have been on the floor during production runs, troubleshot fill-line issues, and built QC alignment with external manufacturing partners
• Experience developing sensory specifications and validation protocols that hold up at commercial production volume
• Bachelor's degree or higher in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry, or a related field

Strongly Preferred

• Experience with functional ingredients — adaptogens, mushroom extracts, nootropics, botanical ingredients — and the formulation challenges they create in liquid matrices
• Background at a better-for-you, functional, or natural beverage brand that has successfully scaled through Target, Whole Foods, Kroger, or Costco
• Familiarity with structure/function claim requirements and the regulatory considerations that affect active ingredient dosage levels in functional beverages
• Experience working in a cross-functional environment where NPD, Quality, and Regulatory have defined decision rights — and comfort building those structures in a scaling organization
• Experience with powdered instant beverage formats is a plus, but secondary to RTD expertise

Who You Are

• You are energized by building things that don't exist yet — including the systems and processes around them, not just the formulas
• You have strong opinions about quality standards and the patience to document them so they outlive any individual on the team
• You are comfortable operating at the intersection of science, regulatory requirements, and commercial constraints — and you know how to say "this needs more rigor" without slowing everything down
• You thrive in a fast-moving environment but know which decisions require deliberate process and which ones can move quickly
• You can successfully work independently and with cross-functional teams to get new products across the finish line

Location: This is an onsite role based in Orange County, CA. Relocation assistance is available for qualified candidates, and the company will cover relocation costs for candidates who need to move to the area.

Apply today to learn more!