Food Scientist

Ollie was born with the mission of improving the lives of pets and pet parents nationwide. We make human-grade pet food, tailored for each dog’s nutritional needs, and deliver directly to our customers’ doors. Through Ollie’s carefully crafted meals and health services for members, dogs can truly live their healthiest, happiest lives.As a member of our growing team, you’ll take part in a company culture that cares deeply about its work and its team members.Ollie is looking for a Food Scientist to focus on recipe design and product nutrition across our fresh-cooked, baked, and treats portfolio. This role focuses on ingredients, nutrition, sensory, and product performance. You’ll work closely with your manager and cross-functional partners to translate consumer and clinical insights into delicious, claims-safe formulas that meet AAFCO requirements, scale reliably at our manufacturing partners, and deliver outcomes pet parents can see.This is a remote role within the U.S. and reports to the Senior Manager of Food Engineering. Up to 50% travel required. What You'll Do: Create and optimize recipes for dogs across life stages and needs (e.g., digestive, weight, skin/coat), balancing nutritional adequacy (AAFCO), palatability, texture, cost, and sustainabilitySupport the ingredient strategy: select proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and fibers; define functional roles, usage levels, and substitutes; maintain the Approved Ingredient List with RegulatoryBuild and maintain finished-good, raw-material, and premix specifications (nutrients, functional targets, micro/chemical limits, sensory/texture KPIs)Lead bench and pilot trials; design trial plans; and partner with co-manufacturers to scale formulas while preserving nutrition, sensory, and yieldCoordinate nutrition, digestibility, and shelf-life studies and translate results into detailed reports highlighting actionable formulation changesPartner with FSQA to set critical-to-quality attributes and label-claim guardrailsCollaborate with Marketing/Insights to convert owner feedback and digital health screening signals into evidence-based formulation updatesDrive value engineering: right-size protein/mineral overages, optimize premix strategy, and evaluate co-products/novel inputs for cost and sustainability without compromising performanceAuthor tech docs (formula BOMs, specs, change controls) and present results to cross-functional teams; maintain rigorous version controlSupport claim substantiation with Regulatory (e.g., “natural,” nutrition adequacy statements) and ensure all formulations are claims-safe and compliantTravel (up to 50%) to kitchens, pilot trials, and partners to execute formulation runs and verify in-spec manufacturingWho You Are: Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Animal Science, Nutrition, Chemistry, or related field; advanced degree preferred3 to 4+ years in food product development or formulation (pet or relevant human foods such as meat/RTE/complex formulations); pet nutrition and/or meat science experience a plusDemonstrated expertise in ingredient functionality (proteins, fats, fibers, hydrocolloids, micronutrients) and nutrient target setting for AAFCO complianceComfortable with experimental design and statistics (DOE), data interpretation, and translating technical findings for diverse audiencesExperience partnering with co-manufacturers to scale formulas; strong grasp of variability, yield, and cost drivers from a formulation standpointCollaborative, curious, and organized; able to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment and move from bench to launch efficientlyPassionate about Ollie’s mission and eager to build evidence-based products that improve pets’ livesWhat You'll Get:Competitive salary and a stake in the companySponsored 401k program with employer match up to 4%Comprehensive health coverage including medical, dental and visionUnlimited vacation policy that you're encouraged to usePaid parental leave1-week paw-ternity leave for new dog parentsFree Ollie subscriptionInspiring pack members!What We Value:Keeping Dogs At The HeartOur profound love for dogs unites us and drives and inspires every aspect of our business. We wholeheartedly believe dogs make us better in life and at work.Being Courageous And KindWe create a safe, inclusive space for everyone to show up as their authentic selves. We check our egos at the door and speak our minds. We embrace diverse backgrounds and perspectives as they bring new and different ideas and ways of working together.Setting New StandardsWe believe in continually raising the bar, never settling for less than our best as a team and individuals. We keep improving from the quality of our products to our customer experience to how we work.Making Ollie The Best ChapterWe are building an impactful business while making memorable experiences with one another. We celebrate our successes, learn from our failures, and enjoy our collective journey. Our time at Ollie should be a milestone in our careers.If you'd like to stand out, tell us in your cover letter why you're interested in joining Ollie and how your skills match the responsibilities detailed in this posting. Ollie embraces diversity and equal opportunity. We're committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. Ollie is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status. For individuals with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation, please include that in your application.