Research Scientist R&D Mexico S&R

Location: Planta El Salto, Jal, MX

About The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company is an industry-leading snacks company known for making more moments of goodness through its iconic brands. With a strong portfolio across chocolate, confectionery, and salty snacks, Hershey delights consumers every day. Our beloved brands include Hershey’s, Reese’s, KitKat®, Dots Pretzels, Lesser Evil, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, and more.

At Hershey, we are committed to making a meaningful difference in the communities where we live, work, and do business. Guided by our employee value proposition, Lead Today. Create Tomorrow, and our One Hershey mindset, we empower our people to drive impact, collaboration, and innovation.

How will you fit in the big picture?

The Research Scientist R&D Mexico S&R supports the development of new products and the optimization of existing products within Hershey’s Mexico business. Working under moderate supervision, this role applies food science and technical expertise to develop formulations, execute laboratory and pilot plant trials, support commercialization activities, and contribute to supply chain initiatives. The position partners closely with cross functional teams including Regulatory, Quality, Engineering, Marketing, Procurement, and Supply Chain to deliver innovation and continuous improvement.

What will you do?

Develop and evaluate product formulations and laboratory prototypes using sound food science principles.

Design and execute experiments, analyze data, and provide technical recommendations to support project decisions.

Plan and lead pilot plant and factory trials, gathering insights to optimize formulations and manufacturing processes.

Support product scale up, commercialization, and start up activities, including manufacturing instructions and technical training.

Collaborate with Engineering, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Supply Chain, external suppliers, and co manufacturers to ensure successful project execution.

Document project work, technical results, specifications, and Stage Gate deliverables in accordance with company standards.

Participate in troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement initiatives that support product quality and operational performance.

Build technical expertise in formulation science, processing technologies, and product development to support future growth within the R&D organization.

Minimum Education & Requirements

Experience:

1 to 3 years of experience in new product development, food science, process engineering, or related R&D environments.

Experience working with laboratory, pilot plant, and manufacturing scale processes.

Experience collaborating with cross functional teams on product development, process improvement, and technical problem solving initiatives.

Strong analytical, problem solving, organizational, and communication skills.

English proficiency required.

This role aligns with a Specialist level requiring a minimum of 1+ years of relevant experience.

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry, Engineering, or a related scientific discipline.

Master’s degree or PhD is preferred.

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