Product Development Scientist I

NotCo

NotCo

Product
San Francisco, CA, USA
USD 65k-75k / year
Posted on Jun 15, 2025

We're NotCo, a group of people united by a strong purpose.

We want you to get to know us, and Giuseppe, our very own artificial intelligence.

We love good food, but above all, we love the planet, and that's why, to protect it, we reinvent the food industry, one delicious bite at a time, elevating what we eat, through our technology and based on plants.

Our recipe has three mega-important components: science, technology, and of course, disruptive talents who work daily to create a better future.

At NotCo we are not and do not seek to be the perfect company, but rather the right one. We are here to produce changes, and that is why we dare, fail, and sometimes achieve incredible successes.

We are currently looking for a Product Development Scientist I for our NotCo B2B Research & Development located in San Francisco, California, requiring active on-site presence. This position will report to our R&D Sr. Team Lead, and the incumbent will work cross-functionally to ensure R&D activities are successfully deployed locally.

Responsible for the:

  • Independently conducts day-to-day product development activities as directed by the manager across multiple projects. This includes supporting activities related to the full product lifecycle process (from product concept to successful commercial launch as needed)and supporting process development, scale-up and technology transfer
  • Supports the design and execution of bench-top tests, pilot-plant trials and full-scale formulations to deliver high-quality food products that meet and exceed the sensory, cost, and other performance targets
  • Proactively proposes and uses sensory and analytical analysis to guide and validate the development process
  • Maintains detailed documentation, experiment tracking and outcomes, and document finished goods and ingredient specifications
  • Provides feedback to project lead regarding relevant technical and process information
  • Communicates proactively and effectively with cross-functional teams, clearly articulating perspectives and trade-offs related to new product development goals
  • Utilizes NotCo’s proprietary AI technology to develop and improve food products
  • Supports formula validation activities as well as process development, scale-up and technology transfer
  • Communicates proactively and effectively with R&D teams and other relevant internal/external stakeholders
  • Maintains detailed documentation across all R&D activities in a timely manner

Qualifications / Requirements:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Food Engineering, Food Science, Engineering in Biotechnology or a similar discipline.
  • 1 + years of Food R&D experience is desired, preferably across both food and beverage categories
  • Be agile, adaptable, and thrive in a dynamic and changing culture; works relentlessly to overachieve, anticipate obstacles, and create plans to overcome them
  • Adapts easily to changing priorities and direction based on new project learnings and team priorities
  • Demonstrated competency to effectively communicate (oral & written) cross-functionally with solid collaboration skills
  • Excel in a startup environment, is excited to create new procedures and processes from scratch and has a strong entrepreneurial mindset.
  • Be a problem solver, have a general manager mindset, and take the initiative to get the job done
  • Possess strong planning, project management, and execution skills, and the ability to articulate where and how you have used them.
  • Rigorous data-driven/analytical capability and ability and presence to present data effectively to a leadership team
  • Work well in teams and cross-functional groups in a matrixed environment, both regionally and globally
  • Possesses strong computer skills, including a high level of proficiency in MS Office, specifically Excel
  • Ability to travel at least 20% of the time.
  • Authorization to work in the U.S. is required

NotCo is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The pay range for this role is $65,000 - $75,000. Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, depth of experience, certifications, and specific work location. This may be different in other locations due to differences in the cost of labor.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.