OPT Food Scientist Jobs
Food Scientist jobs on OPT are a strong fit for F-1 graduates in food science, nutrition, chemical engineering, or biology. Most roles qualify as STEM OPT, giving you up to 36 months of work authorization. Employers in food manufacturing, CPG, and R&D regularly sponsor H-1B visas for qualified candidates.
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Applying to this requisition will put you into considering for either Food Scientist I or Food Scientist II. Level will be determined through the interview process.
Primary focus will be within poultry Cost Optimization, Innovation, Technology Development and/or Quality improvement. Focus areas are developing emerging technologies, cost optimization and commercializing new and improved products and/or processes through guidance from their manager. This covers all stages of product development and process development including writing new product specifications, ensuring regulatory labeling and food safety requirements are met. The person in this position will have a strong working knowledge of the scientific methods and is expected to leverage knowledge related to ingredients, product formulation and food processing to support best in class development of new, innovative food products.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
- Working with and strongly influencing marketing, insights, sales, culinary, FSQA, operations and purchasing departments, coordinating with suppliers of ingredients, ensuring smooth start‐up for new product production processes
- Modifying or optimizing existing products, developing specifications for product production labeling, and compiling cost analysis information.
- Work multiple development and optimization projects of moderate complexity, independently, from concept through commercialization with guidance from manager. This includes planning, executing experiments, analyzing data, reporting results.
- Execute the development process with activities that include bench top development, pilot plant testing, and scale‐up production at a federally inspected research facility and final commercialization at full scale production facility
- Help team to identify innovation that is treated as IP that can give Tyson a competitive edge in the industry
- Analyze data to build product specification that is process capable
- Present technical data or concepts to laypersons on their level of understanding
- Compile cost analysis information and provide to product management
- Ensure costing structure meets the financial expectations of projects
- Work on cross functional teams across the organization for project completion that will ultimately help achieve our growth and EBIT strategies
- Travel to plant product facilities
- Take on and complete special projects as needed.
- Develop culinary samples/prototypes of new products, modifying existing products, optimizing existing products, developing specifications
- Develop product production labels and compiling cost analysis information
- Strong working knowledge of the scientific methods and is expected to leverage knowledge related to ingredients, product formulation and food processing to support best in class development of new, innovative food products
- Work with and influence cross functional team members (marketing, insights, sales, culinary, FSQA, operations and purchasing departments, coordinating with suppliers of ingredients) while ensuring smooth start‐up for new product production processes
- Work with process development to develop process flow charts for engineering
- Ability and Initiative to grow within the organization and develop a personal development plan with your manager
Requirements for Food Scientist I:
Education & Experience:
- BS, MS, or PhD in Food Science, Meat Science, Food Engineering, or related field. PhD or M.S with no experience. B.S. with minimum of 2 years of relevant experience. No degree with minimum of 8 years relevant experience.
Requirements for Food Scientist II:
Education & Experience:
- BS, MS, or PhD in Food Science, Meat Science, Food Engineering, or related field. Alt. Protein science or equivalent Experience: PhD with no experience. M.S. with minimum of 2 years of relevant experience B.S. with minimum of 3 years of relevant experience. No degree with minimum of 8 years relevant experience.
Computer Skills:
- Requires good computer skills with ability to fully utilize MS Office products and Tyson systems (or like systems).
Communication Skills:
- Good verbal and written communication skills required
- Presentation skills required
- Must have the ability to effectively communicate with cross functional business partners
Special Skills:
- Strong critical thinking, analytical and problem‐solving skills
- Strong project management skills. Strong numerical skills
- Understanding of product formulation, food processing and the Research and Development process
- Understanding of regulatory labeling and food safety requirements
Supervisory: May supervise a team of hourly technicians that support a team of scientists.
Travel:
- 25% - 12+ domestic trips per year
- Travel will be required to accomplish our internal and external customer needs
This includes customer meetings, plant production facilities for testing and commercialization of new products, process trouble shooting and any other regular business needs
Relocation Assistance Eligible:
Yes
Work Shift:
1ST SHIFT (United States of America)
Certain roles at Tyson require background checks. If you are offered a position that requires a background check you will be provided additional documentation to complete once an offer has been extended.
Hourly Applicants ONLY - You must complete the task after submitting your application to provide additional information to be considered for employment.
Tyson is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, national origin, color, religion, age, genetics, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or veteran status.
We provide our team members and their families with paid time off; 401(k) plans; affordable health, life, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; and more.
If you would like to learn more about your data privacy rights and how you may use that information, please read our Job Applicant Privacy Notice here.
Unsolicited Assistance: Tyson Foods and its subsidiaries do not accept unsolicited support from external recruitment vendors for open positions within the United States. Any resumes or candidate profiles submitted by recruitment vendors or headhunters to any employee or applicant tracking system at Tyson Foods or its subsidiaries, without a valid written request and search agreement approved by HR, will be considered the property of Tyson Foods. No fees will be paid if the candidate is hired due to an unsolicited referral.
Job Details:
Applying to this requisition will put you into considering for either Food Scientist I or Food Scientist II. Level will be determined through the interview process.
Primary focus will be within poultry Cost Optimization, Innovation, Technology Development and/or Quality improvement. Focus areas are developing emerging technologies, cost optimization and commercializing new and improved products and/or processes through guidance from their manager. This covers all stages of product development and process development including writing new product specifications, ensuring regulatory labeling and food safety requirements are met. The person in this position will have a strong working knowledge of the scientific methods and is expected to leverage knowledge related to ingredients, product formulation and food processing to support best in class development of new, innovative food products.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
- Working with and strongly influencing marketing, insights, sales, culinary, FSQA, operations and purchasing departments, coordinating with suppliers of ingredients, ensuring smooth start‐up for new product production processes
- Modifying or optimizing existing products, developing specifications for product production labeling, and compiling cost analysis information.
- Work multiple development and optimization projects of moderate complexity, independently, from concept through commercialization with guidance from manager. This includes planning, executing experiments, analyzing data, reporting results.
- Execute the development process with activities that include bench top development, pilot plant testing, and scale‐up production at a federally inspected research facility and final commercialization at full scale production facility
- Help team to identify innovation that is treated as IP that can give Tyson a competitive edge in the industry
- Analyze data to build product specification that is process capable
- Present technical data or concepts to laypersons on their level of understanding
- Compile cost analysis information and provide to product management
- Ensure costing structure meets the financial expectations of projects
- Work on cross functional teams across the organization for project completion that will ultimately help achieve our growth and EBIT strategies
- Travel to plant product facilities
- Take on and complete special projects as needed.
- Develop culinary samples/prototypes of new products, modifying existing products, optimizing existing products, developing specifications
- Develop product production labels and compiling cost analysis information
- Strong working knowledge of the scientific methods and is expected to leverage knowledge related to ingredients, product formulation and food processing to support best in class development of new, innovative food products
- Work with and influence cross functional team members (marketing, insights, sales, culinary, FSQA, operations and purchasing departments, coordinating with suppliers of ingredients) while ensuring smooth start‐up for new product production processes
- Work with process development to develop process flow charts for engineering
- Ability and Initiative to grow within the organization and develop a personal development plan with your manager
Requirements for Food Scientist I:
Education & Experience:
- BS, MS, or PhD in Food Science, Meat Science, Food Engineering, or related field. PhD or M.S with no experience. B.S. with minimum of 2 years of relevant experience. No degree with minimum of 8 years relevant experience.
Requirements for Food Scientist II:
Education & Experience:
- BS, MS, or PhD in Food Science, Meat Science, Food Engineering, or related field. Alt. Protein science or equivalent Experience: PhD with no experience. M.S. with minimum of 2 years of relevant experience B.S. with minimum of 3 years of relevant experience. No degree with minimum of 8 years relevant experience.
Computer Skills:
- Requires good computer skills with ability to fully utilize MS Office products and Tyson systems (or like systems).
Communication Skills:
- Good verbal and written communication skills required
- Presentation skills required
- Must have the ability to effectively communicate with cross functional business partners
Special Skills:
- Strong critical thinking, analytical and problem‐solving skills
- Strong project management skills. Strong numerical skills
- Understanding of product formulation, food processing and the Research and Development process
- Understanding of regulatory labeling and food safety requirements
Supervisory: May supervise a team of hourly technicians that support a team of scientists.
Travel:
- 25% - 12+ domestic trips per year
- Travel will be required to accomplish our internal and external customer needs
This includes customer meetings, plant production facilities for testing and commercialization of new products, process trouble shooting and any other regular business needs
Relocation Assistance Eligible:
Yes
Work Shift:
1ST SHIFT (United States of America)
Certain roles at Tyson require background checks. If you are offered a position that requires a background check you will be provided additional documentation to complete once an offer has been extended.
Hourly Applicants ONLY - You must complete the task after submitting your application to provide additional information to be considered for employment.
Tyson is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, national origin, color, religion, age, genetics, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or veteran status.
We provide our team members and their families with paid time off; 401(k) plans; affordable health, life, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; and more.
If you would like to learn more about your data privacy rights and how you may use that information, please read our Job Applicant Privacy Notice here.
Unsolicited Assistance: Tyson Foods and its subsidiaries do not accept unsolicited support from external recruitment vendors for open positions within the United States. Any resumes or candidate profiles submitted by recruitment vendors or headhunters to any employee or applicant tracking system at Tyson Foods or its subsidiaries, without a valid written request and search agreement approved by HR, will be considered the property of Tyson Foods. No fees will be paid if the candidate is hired due to an unsolicited referral.
See all OPT Food Scientist Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Food Scientist Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Food Scientist
Target STEM-designated programs
Confirm your degree program has a STEM CIP code before applying. Food science, nutrition science, and chemical engineering degrees typically qualify, giving you three years of OPT instead of one. Verify with your DSO before your OPT start date.
Focus on R&D and formulation roles
Research and development, product formulation, and quality assurance roles in food manufacturing are most likely to sponsor H-1B visas. These positions require specialized technical skills that justify long-term immigration investment from employers in CPG and ingredients companies.
Document your technical specialization clearly
Food scientist roles that qualify as specialty occupations require a field-specific degree connection. Tailor your resume to highlight sensory science, food safety, or formulation chemistry expertise rather than general lab skills. Specificity strengthens both your application and future H-1B eligibility.
Approach large CPG and ingredients companies first
Companies like Kraft Heinz, McCormick, and Ingredion have established immigration programs and dedicated HR teams familiar with OPT and H-1B. Larger employers are far more likely to have existing processes for sponsoring international food scientists than smaller food startups.
Start your H-1B conversation early
The H-1B cap-subject lottery opens in March each year for an October start date. If your STEM OPT expires before then, timing matters. Raise sponsorship intentions with your employer at least 12 months before your authorization runs out to allow preparation time.
Use your OPT period to build a regulatory track record
Experience with FDA food safety regulations, HACCP plans, or FSMA compliance makes you significantly more attractive to sponsors. Employers see regulatory expertise as a long-term asset worth sponsoring, especially in food manufacturing environments subject to frequent federal oversight.
Food Scientist OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Do Food Scientist jobs qualify for STEM OPT extension?
Yes, in most cases. Food science, nutrition science, chemical engineering, and biology degree programs commonly carry STEM CIP codes that qualify graduates for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, giving you up to 36 months total. Confirm your specific program's CIP code with your DSO, since not every food-related degree qualifies automatically.
How do I find Food Scientist jobs that sponsor OPT students?
Migrate Mate filters food scientist roles by OPT sponsorship willingness, so you're not guessing which employers will work with international students. Large CPG companies, food ingredient suppliers, and contract research organizations tend to sponsor most consistently. Searching by industry rather than job title alone often surfaces more relevant opportunities in your field.
Does a Food Scientist role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
Generally yes, provided the position requires a bachelor's degree or higher in a specific technical field like food science, chemistry, or biology. Roles focused on formulation, sensory analysis, food safety, or R&D have a strong specialty occupation argument. Generalist food technologist positions where any science degree is accepted may face more scrutiny from USCIS.
What types of employers hire Food Scientists on OPT?
The strongest employers for OPT food scientists are large consumer packaged goods companies, food ingredient manufacturers, flavor and fragrance houses, contract testing laboratories, and food safety consulting firms. Government agencies like the USDA and FDA also hire food scientists, though federal employment has separate work authorization requirements that OPT students should verify carefully before applying.
Can I work at multiple food companies simultaneously on OPT?
OPT allows multiple concurrent employers as long as each job is directly related to your field of study and you work at least 20 hours per week in total. A food scientist consulting for two different food manufacturers simultaneously is permissible. Report all employers to your DSO promptly, since unreported employment can jeopardize your OPT status and any future STEM extension.