Welcome to Clyde’s Donuts!

Over a century ago, the Bickford family took ownership of Clyde’s Delicious Donuts. Since 1920, our company has grown to become a beloved name, known for our innovative and high-quality donuts that delight taste buds of all ages. Today, Clyde’s is a thriving, high growth, 4^th generation family-owned food manufacturer and a leading national supplier of donuts to the largest global retailers in mass grocery, convenience stores, and food service. Our Company is financially strong with a consistent track record of stability and growth under the careful leadership of the Bickford family. We invite you to consider a career with our special company.

Summary of Position

Reporting to the Head of R&D, the Senior Food Scientist will lead renovation and innovation-based research and development projects from concept through commercialization for Clyde’s portfolio of products to ensure that our offerings meet/ exceed customer expectations and requirements. The Senor Food Scientist will provide technical support to marketing and sales efforts to execute customer-centric R&D strategies.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Product Renovation

• Act with urgency to address consumer requests, feedback and quality concerns through product enhancements and modifications.
• Improve existing formulations for mixes, icings, glazes, fillings, and toppings to enhance product attributes such as eye appeal, taste, texture, shelf life, and stability.
• Reformulate products to meet emerging trends such as clean label, reduced sugar, plant-based, or allergen-free requirements.
• Optimize ingredient use for cost efficiency, nutritional benefits, and process improvements.

Product Innovation

• Collaborate with sales, marketing, and operations teams to identify market trends and new product opportunities.
• Create and commercialize new donut products innovating recipes, flavors, and formulations to expand our product portfolio.
• Manage the new product development lifecycle, including ideation, prototyping, sensory evaluation, and scale-up so that projects are completed on time and on budget.
• Research and implement new food technologies, emerging ingredients, and process improvements to enhance product differentiation.
• Work closely with ingredient suppliers to source and test new raw materials for potential formulation enhancements.

Testing & Validation

• Design, execute, and interpret testing protocols for product and ingredient functionality.
• Conduct controlled bench-top and full-scale production trials to validate product performance.
• Analyze data from testing and make data-driven recommendations for improvements.
• Collaborate with supply chain, production, and marketing teams to optimize production processes ensuring scalability, cost optimization, quality, and product integrity.

Other

• Collaborate with quality assurance and regulatory teams to stay current on food safety regulations implementing updates to processes and documentation as required.
• Collaborate with project management team to drive state gate process execution.
• Comply with safety, food safety and quality requirements and GMP.

Desired Qualifications

• Masters in food science, bakery science, food chemistry, or related field.
• Proven track record of successful product development and commercialization. Adept at scaling up formulations from lab to full production.
• 5+ years of experience in food product development with demonstrated expertise in testing methodologies, sensory evaluation, and shelf-life analysis.
• Strong understanding of food chemistry, formulation science, ingredient functionality, and processing technologies.
• In-depth knowledge of food safety regulations and quality assurance practices.
• Excellent project management abilities. Adept at problem-solving and analytics.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Preferred: Experience in bakery, confectionery, or donuts industry (yeast-leavened and cake) including mixes, icings, glazes, fillings, baking ingredients (flour, leavening agents, emulsifiers, enzymes, stabilizers), sweeteners, flavors, and hydrocolloids for icing and glaze stability.

Desired Person Traits

• Passionate about food and exploring new ideas and technologies in food science.
• Enjoy working in a lab and production environment, testing and refining formulations.
• A self-starter with a strong work ethic who is flexible and operates with a sense of urgency.
• Upbeat, calm, and steady demeanor working with people in fast-paced environments.
• Highly collaborative.

We Offer

Target compensation estimates are provided in good faith at the time of job posting. Job offers may vary based on the candidate’s education, certifications, job-related knowledge, skill, experience, geographic location, shift, and internal equity. Clyde’s may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future.

• Base salary range: $90,000 to $120,000.
• Position is eligible for an annual bonus.

The total compensation estimate includes an estimated annual bonus paid at target. Bonus payments are contingent on the Company achieving budgeted benchmarks and individual attainment of performance goals.

Comprehensive Benefits

• Medical plan options including HMO, PPO and HDHP with H.S.A
• Dental Plan. Two plan options.
• Vision plan.
• Health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts.
• Short-term and long-term disability plans (Company paid).
• Group term life and AD&D insurance (Company Paid).
• Voluntary insurance plans Including life, AD&D, accident, and critical illness.
• Generous paid time off benefits and 7 holidays.
• 401(k) plan including 4% matching contribution and immediate vesting.
• Tuition reimbursement program.
• Various leaves of absence programs for life’s emergencies.
• Clean, modern, and safe facilities.
• Company-provided uniforms and an annual safety shoe subsidy.

Sponsorship Not Available

We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time. Applicants must have work authorization that does not now or in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United States and with Clyde’s Donuts.

Work Environment and Job Physical Demands

These conditions are common to individuals working in the plant environment.

• Exposure to moving mechanical parts.
• Exposure to wet and/or humid conditions.
• Exposure to extreme hot conditions on such equipment as operating fryers and extreme cold conditions such as blast spiral freezers.
• Exposure to noise, dust, and fumes.
• Standing and walking on slippery floors.
• Working in close proximity to equipment and other employees.
• Lifting of up to 50 pounds and movement of equipment.

Clyde’s Donuts is proud to be an equal opportunity/ reasonable accommodation employer.