At Utz, we don’t just make snacks — we create experiences people love. With over 100 years of family heritage and a growing portfolio of iconic brands like Utz, Zapp’s, Boulder Canyon, and On The Border, we’re on a mission to become the fastest‑growing pure‑play snacking company of scale in the U.S.
Our success starts with our people. That’s why we’re committed to fostering a supportive, inclusive, and innovative environment where your ideas matter, your growth is encouraged, and your work makes a real impact.
The Opportunity: Food Scientist
*This position is based at our headquarters location in Hanover, PA. Travel required for the role to various facilities as needed.
The Food Scientist oversees every stage of new product development, from initial concept through to final commercialization. This role involves collaborating with multiple cross-functional teams such as manufacturing, procurement, packaging, sales, and marketing.
This is a hands‑on role for someone who loves being in the lab, at the plant, and at the table driving decisions that shape what hits store shelves next.
What You’ll Do:
- Designs, develops, conducts and/or reviews experiments (e.g., laboratory or process experiments) to deliver new products.
- Evaluates ingredient and product efficacy, claims and safety.
- Evaluates new ingredients, materials, products and/or processes.
- Successfully applies scientific, engineering and consumer insights principles in research, formulation, processing, and commercialization of snacks.
- Identifies, evaluates, and selects new ingredients, developments, trends and technologies in food and beverage industry to guide product development initiatives.
- Runs pilot scale equipment with knowledge of various plant unit operations and processes.
- Performs plant trials from initial planning through execution and scale-up.
- Analyzes ingredients, finished products or other substances using laboratory instruments. This includes preparation of analytical standards and standard curves.
- Uses and applies knowledge of Good Laboratory Practices (e.g., handling of chemicals and glassware, preparation of standards and reagents, proper measuring techniques, data management, housekeeping).
- Develops, maintains and/or validates laboratory test methods or equipment (sampling, monitoring, analytical procedures) to ensure reliability and accuracy of analytical results.
- Writes detailed and accurate reports for analyses, experiments, and projects
- Responsible for quality and food safety tasks for their position.
- Scouts new technologies, processes and partners to help drive the business, meeting new consumer and business needs
- Up to 25% travel required for the role.
What You Bring:
Education:
- Bachelor’s Degree: A Bachelor’s degree in food science, chemistry, chemical engineering is preferred.
Experience:
- 2–4 years of experience in food product development in snacks; would consider Internship or laboratory experience in food science, chemistry, or a related field, demonstrating hands-on skills in product development or research.
- Exposure to cross-functional teamwork, such as collaborating with manufacturing, procurement, or marketing teams on academic or extracurricular projects.
- Familiarity with laboratory techniques, Good Laboratory Practices, and basic data analysis, gained through coursework or practical training.
Skills:
- Demonstrated leadership and team building competencies.
- Project management and complex problem-solving abilities.
- Excellent communication, interpersonal skills, and people management skills.
- Able to be self-directed, forward thinking and make complex decisions that drive business innovation and performance.
- Deep ability to exercise design of experiments, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
- Comfort with presenting findings/data to senior leadership.
- Excellent time and project management skills with proven ability to manage and prioritize multiple, concurrent projects.
External Recruitment Process:
- Easy Application (5 mins): Introduce yourself and answer a few key questions to get started.
- Engaging Chat Interview (20-25 mins): Share your experiences in an online chat, highlighting how your values align with ours.
- Live Interview: Selected candidates will meet with the hiring manager to explore their alignment with the team and overall Utz company culture.
Why Utz?
We’re proud to offer a supportive, inclusive environment where associates can grow their careers and live their healthiest lives. Our benefits include:
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans
- Employer-match 401(k) and profit-sharing
- Employee stock purchase plan
- Career development programs and more
Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.
