Welcome to Daiya Foods, where we are reimagining comfort foods that are irresistible and better for you. Today, as dairy-free food grows in popularity, that spirit of innovation continues to inspire our team. Our diverse portfolio of great tasting foods invites everyone to the table.
Our dedication to minimizing environmental impact extends across our operations. We operate in a manufacturing facility and office that is LEED certified, embodying our commitment to sustainability through the leadership in energy and environmental design principles.
Join our team of food-loving Daiyans, where our shared passion, vision, and ability to bring smiles to each other's faces fuel our journey of dairy-free exploration.
SUMMARY
The R&D Sr. Scientist is a self-motivated and curious individual, focused on delivering products and technical solutions across our categories. The R&D Sr. Scientist develops formulations and processes, conducts analytical and scale up testing, and commercializes new solutions. The role is responsible for leading the planning, coordination, and execution for key innovation, line extension, and product and process improvement projects from the ideation to launch stage.
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
End-to-End Product Development and Technical Execution
- Plan, lead, and execute technical R&D work across multiple product development projects.
- Develop new and modify existing formulations and processes at benchtop, pilot plant, and production scale.
- Design, conduct, and analyze experiments, including sensory, analytical, microbiological, and shelf-life testing.
- Develop prototypes and finished products that meet defined technical targets.
- Enter ingredients, formulate products, and generate NFPs and ingredient statements using Genesis.
Innovation, Research and Technical Feasibility
- Research new technologies and industry trends to identify practical applications and business benefits.
- Participate in ideation and lead technical feasibility assessments for new projects.
- Research, source, and communicate new product concepts, preparation methods, ingredients, flavours, product use, processes, packaging, and nutritional requirements.
- Source and evaluate ingredients, packaging, and related materials from suppliers.
Commercialization and Manufacturing Readiness
- Plan, coordinate, and execute pilot and plant trials.
- Collaborate with FSQA and Operations to develop commercialization and hand-off plans, including quality, food safety, documentation, specifications, training, and ongoing support.
- Lead and troubleshoot production start-ups and hand-offs in-house and at co-packers.
- Build and maintain relationships with external stakeholders, including co-manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, technical services, and equipment suppliers.
- Collaborate with the R&D Sensory team to run tests that inform project progress and product improvements.
Documentation, Standards and R&D Lab Excellence
- Maintain accurate records of all project plans, technical work and required SR&ED and funding documentation.
- Lead the development and revision of SOPs and testing methods.
- Participate in the maintenance of the R&D lab, including equipment calibration, organization, and cleanliness.
- Assist the R&D Lab team with documentation for new samples and raw materials.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor’s degree of Science or Engineering in Food Science, Process Engineering, etc.
- Five (5) years of related experience in food processing or product development, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
- Experience working with Canadian and U.S.A food standards and regulations.
- Proficiency in PLM, formulation, or nutrition analysis systems (e.g., Genesis, SKU Safe) to manage ingredients, formulations, specifications, and compliant product labeling.
RELATED SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & ABILITIES
- Deep understanding of the product development lifecycle, ingredient functionality, food processing, and manufacturing principles.
- Strong expertise in formulation science, with the ability to strategically adjust ingredients and processing variables to achieve desired sensory, functional, and nutritional outcomes.
- Highly developed hands-on culinary and technical lab capabilities across food analysis, structuring, chemistry, microbiology, and processing; comfortable partnering with external experts to develop new methods and protocols.
- Solid command of laboratory techniques, including contributing to the development, validation, and continuous improvement of analytical methods.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, identify insights, and translate findings into practical recommendations.
- Sound judgment and structured problem-solving skills, with the ability to troubleshoot formulation and scale-up challenges effectively.
- Proven technical project management capability, balancing multiple priorities while maintaining momentum and quality.
- Ability to work independently with ownership, while also contributing meaningfully within cross-functional teams.
- Adaptability and resilience in dynamic environments with shifting priorities and evolving project needs.
- Strong organizational skills with disciplined documentation and record-keeping practices.
- Ability to build productive relationships with cross-functional partners and external stakeholders.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, SharePoint).
- Ability to travel occasionally (up to 25%) and drive to co-manufacturing facilities as part of the role.
DAIYA’S CORE COMPETENCIES
- Emotional Intelligence: you demonstrate composure and self-awareness in complex technical environments, building trust across R&D, Operations, FSQA, and external partners while constructively navigating challenges and differing perspectives.
- Growth Mindset: you approach scientific challenges with curiosity and resilience, continuously expanding your technical expertise and seeking innovative solutions to improve products, processes, and outcomes.
- Effective Communication: you translate complex scientific data into clear, actionable insights, ensuring alignment and informed decision-making across technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Collaboration: you partner effectively across functions and with external stakeholders to deliver scalable, high-quality products from concept through commercialization.
- Driving Results: you lead technical execution with ownership and urgency, anticipating risks, making sound scientific decisions, and driving projects through development, scale-up, and commercialization to achieve defined business and product objectives.
- Service Excellence: you apply scientific rigor with a consumer and business lens, ensuring products meet quality, safety, regulatory, and operational standards.
Daiya’s compensation offerings are based on a pay-for-performance philosophy. The pay range for this position is from $75,000–$85,000 annually; the base pay offered is based on market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and internal equity. At Daiya, investing in our people is a top priority. We believe in building a flexible, hybrid model to make work-life harmony a reality. We strive to build diverse and high performing teams and empower continuous learning to grow and improve ourselves.
- 3 weeks’ vacation
- Flex Days
- Extended health benefits
- Retirement savings matching program
- Flexible spending account
- Fun and creative environment
- On-site fitness studio
- Inspiring and innovative work
- Making people and the planet a healthier place
At Daiya Foods, we are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable work environment, one in which employees can bring their whole selves to work everyday. We welcome and celebrate differences because we believe a multitude of perspectives fosters innovation and will help us achieve our vision.
Daiya Foods is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and prohibits discrimination of any kind. We are committed to building a representative workforce and encourage applications reflecting diversity of sex, sexual orientation, gender identify or expression, racialization or ancestry, disability, religion, marital or family status, age and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. We endeavor to recruit, develop, and retain the best talent from a diverse candidate pool and truly believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion among our team members is vital to our success as a company. We trust that in applying for a role with us you value this as well!
Daiya Foods humbly acknowledges that the land on which we work, live, and play is the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, and Musqueam Nations. This connection to the land is not only a source of inspiration but also a guiding force in our journey towards greater environmental stewardship and community engagement.
