SME - CD&D Bakery Color - Erlanger, KY

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Job Title: SME - CD&D Bakery Color - Erlanger, KY
Location: Erlanger, KY, South United States, USA

Company: Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM)
Industry Sector: Agribusiness
Industry Type: Input Retail, Cooperative and Related Crop Services
Job Type: Full Time

Job Description: Job Description

Subject Matter Expert (SME), CD&D Bakery Color - Erlanger, KY

Position Overview:

The CD&D Colors Application Scientist (Bakery & Cereal) serves as a technical subject matter expert in color application across bakery and cereal systems, delivering innovative, scalable solutions that meet evolving regulatory, consumer, and customer demands.

This role focuses on natural color performance across bakery and cereal platforms (e.g., cakes, cookies, icings, fillings, extruded cereals, coated cereals, bars), translating color science into robust, commercially viable applications.

The ideal candidate combines expertise in bakery and cereal formulation and processing with deep knowledge of color chemistry to address stability, shade and performance challenges in complex thermal and low-moisture systems.

Key Responsibilities:

Application Development & Technical Expertise
- Design and execute experiments evaluating color performance n bakery and cereal systems (high vs. low moisture, baked vs. extruded, dough vs. coating applications).
- Assess color stability under critical conditions, including
  - Water activity and moisture migration)
  - Thermal processing (baking, extrusion)
  - Ingredient interactions and shelf-life stability
  - Storage conditions and oxidation
- Evaluate color interactions with ingredients such as flours, sugars, fats, proteins, leavening systems and inclusions
- Generate actionable technical insights to guide formulation recommendations and optimize performance
Subject Matter Leadership - Bakery & Cereal
- Act as the go-to expert for bakery and cereal color applications across CD&D and commercial teams.
- Lead troubleshooting for complex challenges, including:
  - Color degradation under high heat processing
  - Variability due to Maillard browning and base matrix color
  - Shade consistency across scale-up and production
- Develop and maintain best practices and application guidelines for internal and external stakeholders.
Customer Collaboration & Commercialization
- Partner directly with customers' R&D teams to deliver Concept-through-Commercialization support, particularly in transitioning to Natural Colors
- Translate technical findings into clear, concise customer-ready recommendations.
- Support customer engagements, including pilot and plant trials, lab work and technical presentations.
- Enable commercial success through fit-for-purpose color solutions that meet cost, performance and regulatory needs.
Innovation & Portfolio Development
- Identify gaps and emerging needs in the bakery & cereal color portfolio (i.e. clean label, heat-stable colors, etc).
- Collaborate with Color and Product Development teams to:
  - Develop new bakery- and cereal-ready color solutions
  - Enhance stability in demanding conditions (i.e. high heat, low moisture, etc)
- Contribute to innovation pipelines aligned to key trends and customer needs (i.e. better-for-you baked goods, protein-enriched products, snack and cereal innovation, etc)
Cross-Functional Partnership
- Work closely with internal CD&D, Regulatory, Marketing and Commercial teams to ensure alignment between technical abilities and commercial strategy.
- Contribute to the development of technical training materials and best-practice guides for color use.

Qualifications

Bachelor's or higher in Food Science, Chemistry or related field.
5-10+ years in food applications, with strong focus on bakery and/or cereal systems
Demonstrated expertise in color application, stability and troubleshooting
Experience with natural colors and FD&C replacement strategies strongly preferred
Deep knowledge of:
Bakery and cereal formulation and processing technologies
Color chemistry and stability principles
Ingredient interactions in complex, low-moisture systems
Hands-on experience with:
Bench and pilot-scale baking and/or extrusion systems
Analytical and sensory evaluation of color performance

Key Competencies

Strong problem-solving and experimental design capability
Customer-facing communication skills (executive and technical audiences)
Ability to translate technical insights into commercial impact
Collaborative mindset across global teams

Success Profile

Recognized internally and externally as a bakery & cereal color expert
Drives high win rates through technically differentiated solutions
Accelerates customer conversions to natural colors
Demonstrates strong linkage between technical delivery and revenue generation

Excited about this role but don't think you meet every requirement listed? We encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings.

ADM requires the successful completion of a background check.

REF:110025BR

#IncludingYou

Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging are cornerstones of ADM's efforts to continue innovating, driving growth, and delivering outstanding performance. We are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce and create welcoming, truly inclusive work environments - environments that enable every ADM colleague to feel comfortable on the job, make meaningful contributions to our success, and grow their career. We respect and value the unique backgrounds and experiences that each person can bring to ADM because we know that diversity of perspectives makes us better, together.

We welcome everyone to apply. We are committed to ensuring all qualified applicants receive consideration for employment regardless of race, color, ethnicity, disability, religion, national origin, language, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, sexual orientation, age, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law

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Job Post Date: 07/13/26