Food Science Consultant

About EssentialEssential is a new bioscience organization creating breakthrough solutions to tackle malnutrition and transform food systems. We are leveraging advances in fermentation to convert agricultural byproduct into affordable, accessible, and climate-resilient proteins that can be integrated into products to prevent and treat malnutrition. Our goal is to catalyze a new model of climate-resilient protein production in Sub-Saharan Africa and build a bioscience R&D engine in East Africa. Essential was founded on the belief that advances in the sciences hold potential to transform the most important global problems. We are a passionate and fast-paced team focused on generating breakthrough solutions for the world’s poor. We are audacious in our vision, ambitious in our thinking, and rigorous and humble in our approach. We have a presence in Nairobi and Addis Ababa. About the roleWe are seeking a Food Science Consultant to complement our existing teams in culinary product development team and bio-science / -technology by bringing a more systematic, science-based understanding of our ingredient’s functional and sensory properties. The consultant will help translate underlying biochemical and process drivers into actionable insights for product development and commercial applications.Key project areasFlavour chemistry analysis: Identify compounds and process steps contributing to both desirable and off-flavours; recommend process or downstream adjustments to reduce off-flavours and create product variants that enhance umami, natural sour fermented tastes, and / or achieve neutral profiles.Functional performance mapping: Characterize how the ingredient behaves under different cooking and processing conditions (heat, water, shear, pH, etc.), and how this affects texture, taste, aroma, functionality, and nutritional value.Ingredient interaction analysis: Evaluate how our protein product interacts with other compounds and food matrices (e.g., other proteins, starches, lipids), identifying potential effects such as foaming, agglomeration, or phase separation.Application suitability: Systematically test and document how different product variants perform in target use cases (e.g., rice, beans, baked goods, porridges, beverages).Flavour modulation: Evaluate potential masking agents or flavour pairings that improve sensory acceptability while maintaining a clean label.Formulation translation: Develop pathways for adapting the ingredient into new product formats (e.g., protein powders, shakes, dairy products or their vegan alternatives).Shelf-life suitability: Assess how formulations and processing choices impact product stability over time and recommend strategies (e.g., drying, blending, packaging, moisture control) to ensure long shelf life for final products (e.g., flours, spice blends, ready-to-cook products, meat and dairy alternatives) within cost- and context-specific constraints (e.g., lack of cold chain access).ProfileIndustry experience in food science mandatory; experience in fermentation and / or flavour chemistry desirable; understanding of fungal or microbial proteins a strong advantage.Experience designing and interpreting structured food functionality and sensory tests.Ability to collaborate closely with both the culinary and product development, as well as the technical (science, engineering, ops) teams to translate lab findings into practical recommendations.Open to both local (Kenyan) and international experts; preference for those with prior work on mycelium-based or fermented proteins.ApplicationInterested candidates should send their CV to talent@essentialimpact.org. (Subject: Food Science Consultant)