Research Scientist

fairlife LLC is a Chicago-based nutrition company that creates great-tasting nutrition-rich and dairy products to nourish consumers.

With over $3B in annual retail sales fairlifes portfolio of delicious lactose-free real dairy products includes: fairlife ultra-filtered milk; Core Power High Protein Shakes a sports nutrition drink to support post-workout recovery; fairlife nutrition plan a nutrition shake to support the journey to better health.

A wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola company fairlife LLC has been recognized by both Fast Company and Nielsen for its industry leading innovation.

To learn more about fairlife and its complete line of products please visit .

job purpose:

responsibilities:

Mechanistic Research & Root-Cause Investigation

• Own the Problem Statement: Bridge the gap between the lab and the plant. Spend time on the manufacturing floor and in QA labsto mapcritical quality attributesand define complex technical challenges at their source.

• Hypothesis to Scale: Design comprehensive research plans to validate the underlying mechanisms behind product stability age-gelation sedimentation and flavor kinetics.

• Translational Science: Test solutions from bench-top prototypes through pilot plant validation culminating in commercial-scale trials. Translate data into clear actionable recommendations for cross-functional leadership.

Advanced Analytics & Method Transfer

• Method Innovation: Proactively identify gaps in our current testing protocols. Evaluate develop and validate new analytical methodsspecifically focusing on rheology particle size distribution chromatography and volatile profiling.
• KnowledgeTransfer: Draft robust SOPs and technical playbooks. Act as the lead Subject Matter Expert (SME) to transfer these new methods to plant QA labs providing hands-on training to operational teams across all manufacturing sites.

Process Optimization & Technical Advocacy:

• Predictive Quality: Apply your deep understanding of milk protein chemistry (e.g. casein-wheyinteractions mineral balance) to partner with Product Development and Operations optimizing formulation and processing choices for fluid dairy beverages.
• Efficiency & Sustainability: Identify opportunities for process optimization that improve yield thermal efficiency and product shelf life acting as a technical leader across Engineering Quality and Supply Chain.

Emerging Leadership

• Team Growth: While starting as an individual contributor you will have the immediate opportunity to mentor junior team members and build a small team (12 direct reports) of technicians or junior scientists as your workstreams expand.

skills/qualifications required:

required qualifications

• Education: MSc or PhD in Dairy Science Food Science Food Engineering or a closely related field with a distinct academic focus on physical chemistry or advanced processing.

• Experience:1-3 (PhD) or2-5(MSc)years of progressive experience indairy/foodresearch spanning laboratory bench workandpilot plant scale-up.

• Technical Mastery:

• • Dairy/FoodPhysical Chemistry: Deep understanding of the interactions between proteins fats enzymes and mineralsduring manufacturing processingunder thermal stressand during shelf-life.

• • Analytical Toolset: Proven hands-on competence with rheology chromatographic methods particle size and compositional analyses.

• • Technical Writing: Exceptional capability in authoring rigorous technical reports white papers or peer-reviewed documentation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Comprehensive understanding of applied dairychemistry.

• Unit Operations:intimate familiarity with end-to-end fluid milk operations (separation standardization membrane filtration homogenization and UHT/aseptic processing).

• Direct experiencewith commercial aseptic systems and product-packaging interactions (e.g. PET barrier integrity closures).

• A proven track record of leading complex cross-functional root-cause investigations (e.g. solving oxidation defects fouling reduction or severe shelf-life failures).

• Familiarity with the regulatory framework governing dairy processing functional ingredients and stabilizers.

working conditions and physical requirements:

• Ability tolift upto 50 lbs.

how fairlifenourishes you:

Atfairlife we believe in better and that includes how we support our people. We offer a comprehensive suite of benefits andwellbeingresources designed to support you physically emotionally socially and financially both in and out of work.

• Comprehensive medical dental and vision coverage effective day one!

• Supplemental health plans (hospital indemnity accident and critical illness insurance)

• Paid Time Off to recharge and support work-life balance

• Paid parental leave & adoption assistance (up to $10000)

• Parental support & family care benefits including childcare resources and lactation support

• 401(k) to support retirement planning with up to 9% in employer match

• Wellness reimbursement (up to $500 for qualified wellbeing expenses)

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for emotional wellbeing and work-life support

• Company-paid life insurance and short-term disability

• Employer HSA funding (for HDHP participants)

• Tuition reimbursement (up to $10000) and student loan repayment ($200/month)

• Learning & development programs to unlock your full potential

• Rewards & recognition matching gifts free product and Business Resource Groups

fairlifesnour!shprogram is designed to meet you where you are supporting your individual wellbeing journey while enabling you to do your best work every day.

position location: Chicago IL

reports to:Kamil Drapala Sr. Director R&D

travel requirements:20-30%

exempt/nonexempt: exempt

fairlife LLC is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis ofrace color religion age sex national origin disability status genetics protected veteran status sexual orientation gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local laws. All qualified applicants and employees will be given equal opportunity. Selection decisions are based on job-related factors.

In addition to its nondiscrimination commitment the Company will also provide reasonable accommodation of qualified individuals with known disabilities unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the Company. If you have a disability and would like to request accommodation in order to apply for a position with us please email.

For Recruitment Agencies

At fairlife we manage the majority of our hiring internally through our dedicated Talent Acquisition team which is actively engaged in direct candidate sourcing. Most of our roles are filled through applications submitted via our careers site or through direct outreach by our team.