Food Scientists & Senior Food Scientists at David Protein

Description

The Company:
David creates tools to increase muscle and decrease fat. Our first product is a protein bar. More broadly, David is a platform to develop high-protein, low-calorie, blood-sugar-friendly foods that are craveable.

This is a rare opportunity to join a breakout food brand at a pivotal stage of growth. Led by CEO Peter Rahal, Cofounder and Former CEO of RXBAR, David is working to become the leading consumer food brand focused on high-protein foods in North America and beyond.

The Role:

Reporting to the Director of R&D, we are looking for Food Scientists & Senior Food Scientists to own formulation, testing, and iteration across David’s product portfolio. This role is responsible for turning ideas into finished, scalable products - from benchtop experimentation through pilot runs and early production.

This is a hands-on, benchtop role. The majority of your time will be spent formulating, testing, troubleshooting, and refining products. You will also work closely with our commercialization, supply chain and quality teams to ensure products meet taste, nutrition, safety, cost, and scale requirements.

Responsibilities: 

Product Development & Formulation

• Own hands-on formulation and benchtop experimentation to develop and improve high-protein, low-calorie food products.
• Translate early ideas into testable hypotheses, benchtop experiments, and prototypes.
• Explore and critically assess new food ingredient systems, and processing methods aligned with David’s roadmap.
• Develop prototypes that balance taste, texture, nutrition, stability, and scalability.
• Lead rapid formulation iteration informed by sensory evaluation, data, and manufacturing constraints.
• Document formulations, methods, and results.

Sensory & Performance Evaluation

• Conduct and analyze internal sensory evaluations and laboratory testing to assess product flavor, texture, appearance, and physical performance.
• Use sensory and analytical results to drive targeted formulation improvements.

Scale-Up & Commercialization Support

• Support pilot and early production runs, identifying and mitigating formulation, process, and ingredient risks during scale-up.
• Collaborate with commercialization, operations, and manufacturing teams during pilots and early production runs.
• Assist with ingredient evaluations, supplier assessments, and QA documentation, including specifications, testing protocols, and nutritional targets.
• Ensure early-stage food concepts maintain taste, stability, safety, and cost efficiency through commercialization.
• Communicate technical insights effectively across R&D, Supply Chain, and Commercialization teams.

Ingredient & Technical Expertise

• Apply working knowledge and conduct research in food chemistry, proteins, high intensity sweeteners, fibers, binding systems, ingredient interactions, sensory performance, and shelf-life kinetics.
• Diagnose unexpected failures or performance issues for both ingredients and finished products (texture changes, binding failures, flavor instability, processing issues, etc.) with speed, clarity, and technical precision.
• Stay current on ingredient technologies, processing methods, and food science best practices relevant to high-protein systems.

Compliance & Lab Excellence

• Ensure all work aligns with food safety regulations and industry standards.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and well-run laboratory.
• Partner with regulatory and QA teams to ensure compliant ingredient selection and labeling awareness.

Requirements

• 3-8 years of experience in food science, R&D, or product development within food or CPG.
• Strong hands-on formulation experience, ideally with high-protein systems.
• Deep curiosity about ingredient functionality and food chemistry.
• Comfort operating independently in a fast-moving, early-stage environment.
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to clearly communicate technical findings and priorities to cross-functional partners.
• Humble, self-aware, and eager to learn.
• Desire to help build a mission-driven CPG company focused on metabolic health and performance.

Benefits

• This is a full-time, in-office role based in New York City. We work onsite five days a week — when the culture fits, it is fun to be in the office together.
• Compensation: $120-170K per year. Compensation is inclusive of bonus. Ability to trade salary for equity compensation will be offered.
• 100% covered Health, Vision, Dental Insurance.
• 401(k) with 4% match.
• Additional perks, such as covered gym expenses.
• Substantial and required PTO.