Position Overview
This organization is a global developer of flavors and fragrances, partnering with customers to create products that shape how people taste and smell the world around them. Blending science, creativity, and deep technical expertise, the team supports food, beverage, personal care, and household applications from concept through commercialization.
Known for a hands-on, collaborative culture, the company empowers its scientists to own their work, influence product decisions, and deliver sensory-driven solutions that meet real consumer needs. With a strong focus on quality, innovation, and sensory excellence, this is an environment where technical expertise makes a visible impact every day.
The Sensory Scientist will support a centralized technical services organization and play a key role in delivering high-quality sensory and consumer insights across flavor and fragrance applications. This role leads the design, execution, and interpretation of sensory and consumer research to ensure products meet customer and consumer expectations using sound scientific and statistical methodologies. The position also serves as the lead for the organization’s descriptive sensory program.
This is a hands-on role requiring strong technical expertise, operational ownership, and the ability to collaborate cross-functionally with R&D and project teams.
- Lead the day-to-day operations of an internal consumer science and sensory testing center, including study scheduling, inventory management, supply ordering, and maintaining a clean, organized, and food-safe environment.
- Ensure compliance with food safety and facility SOPs through training, oversight, and adherence to best practices for ingredient receiving, storage, preparation, and serving.
- Plan and execute internal sensory and consumer studies in partnership with project leaders, including study design, scheduling, sample preparation, portioning, serving, and post-test clean-up.
- Serve as the primary owner of sensory software platforms, managing study setup, launch, monitoring, troubleshooting, data capture, and close-out to ensure data integrity and accuracy.
- Lead the descriptive analysis program, including panelist recruitment and training, performance and acuity monitoring, remedial training development, scheduling, and ongoing panel communication.
- Own sensory research for assigned projects by defining objectives, selecting appropriate methodologies, analyzing and interpreting data, preparing clear and actionable reports, and presenting insights to internal and external stakeholders.
- Train and oversee team members and contractors on standard operating procedures related to facility use, sample handling, panel proctoring, software usage, issue resolution, and clean-up procedures.
- Create, organize, and maintain complete and accurate paper and electronic documentation for products, studies, and sensory programs.
- Conduct sensory evaluations requiring the ability to taste and smell a broad range of food and beverage products.
- Support additional projects and responsibilities as business needs evolve.
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in Sensory Science, Food Science, Consumer Science, or a related scientific discipline.
- Prior hands-on experience designing and executing sensory and consumer studies in an industrial, R&D, or applied research environment.
- Experience working with sensory software platforms (e.g., Compusense or similar).
- Strong understanding of descriptive analysis methodologies and panel management.
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining high standards of accuracy, organization, and communication.
- Comfortable operating independently while collaborating closely with technical and cross-functional partners.
- Target base salary for the position is $80,000-$90,000 with some potential flexibility
- Organization offers PTO, 401, health, dental and vision benefits as well as additional, robust benefits
Krisi O’Donnell
LaSalle Network
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LaSalle Network is an Equal Opportunity Employer m/f/d/v.
LaSalle Network is the leading provider of direct hire and temporary staffing services. For over two decades, LaSalle has helped organizations hire faster and connect top talent with opportunities, from entry-level positions to the C-suite. With units specializing in Accounting and Finance, Administrative, Engineering, Marketing, Technology, Supply Chain, Revenue Cycle, Call Center, Human Resources and Executive Search, LaSalle offers staffing and recruiting solutions to companies of all sizes and across all industries.