R&D Scientist

Spray Drying and Chemicals Pvt Ltd

About the Role

SDC (Spray Drying and Chemicals Pvt. Ltd.) is hiring founding scientists for its new Innovation Cell to take ideas from research papers to commercial products. This role involves developing next-generation functional ingredients and solving client problems through contract research. Scientists will have end-to-end project ownership, from literature research to commercial transfer.

Levels

• Scientist (3–5 years experience)
• Junior Scientist (0–2 years experience)

Location: Surat (Innovation Lab), with regular pilot trials at the Saykha (Bharuch) plant.

Key Responsibilities

• Encapsulation and Particle Engineering:
• Design and develop spray-dried encapsulation and microencapsulation systems for nutraceutical actives.
• Improve solubility, dispersibility, stability, masking, and delivery of active ingredients.
• Work hands-on with spray drying, fluid bed coating, agglomeration, emulsion design, and wall-material selection.
• Develop controlled and sustained-release ingredient systems.
• New Ingredient Development:
• Create new functional ingredients across hydrocolloids, specialty fibers, and protein systems.
• Challenge standard approaches and propose alternative solutions backed by data.
• Contract Research for Clients:
• Deliver solutions for client problem statements, from bench feasibility to pilot scale demonstration.
• Conduct technical discussions, trial design, and prepare application dossiers and data packages for international clients and large companies.
• Handle client and company Intellectual Property (IP) with strict confidentiality.
• Research to Reality:
• Mine scientific literature and patents to develop structured lab trial plans and design-of-experiments.
• Execute bench formulations and run pilot campaigns at the Saykha plant.
• Document experiments through lab notebooks, trial reports, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Perform analytical characterization including particle size, viscosity/rheology, solubility, dispersibility, moisture/water activity, and stability.
• Food Safety by Design:
• Develop products in alignment with GMP, HACCP, and FSSC standards from initial trials.
• Collaborate with the Quality team on specifications, validation, and regulatory files.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Proficiency in spray drying, encapsulation, or ingredient/application development (experience level varies by role).
• Hands-on experience with spray drying, fluid bed coating, agglomeration, emulsion design, and wall-material selection.
• Experience in running analytical characterization tests.
• Working knowledge of food safety (GMP, HACCP, FSSC).
• Strong documentation discipline.
• Proficiency in English communication.

Qualifications

• Education:
• M.Tech / M.Sc in Food Technology, Food Process Engineering, Dairy Technology/Science, or Biotechnology.
• B.Tech from a top institute considered for the Junior Scientist level.
• Preferred Institutions: CSIR-CFTRI Mysuru, ICT Mumbai (UDCT), NIFTEM-Kundli, NIFTEM-Thanjavur (IIFPT), NDRI Karnal, SMC College of Dairy Science (AAU, Anand), and IIT food engineering programs.
• Experience:
• Scientist (3–5 years): Hands-on experience in spray drying, encapsulation, or ingredient/application development; at least one project taken from lab toward pilot or plant scale.
• Junior Scientist (0–2 years): Strong fundamentals and hunger to master encapsulation and particle engineering; exceptional fresh graduates welcome.

Competencies that Matter

• Thinks differently: questions the standard approach and proposes creative alternatives.
• A builder: enjoys converting ideas into tangible products.
• Self-driven researcher: proactively reads literature/patents and designs experiments.
• Multitasker: comfortable running parallel projects with shifting priorities.
• Trustworthy: understands and upholds discretion and integrity with IP.
• Curious beyond the brief: eager to learn new processing areas.