Application Scientist - Food

About planetary

Planetary is building the future of food through large-scale fermentation. Based in Switzerland, we produce high-quality, sustainable ingredients that help food companies create better products without compromise on taste, texture, or nutrition.

At the heart of our portfolio is Libre mycoprotein: a minimally processed, whole-food ingredient grown through natural fermentation. It delivers complete protein (PDCAAS 0.997) comparable to top animal sources, with added fibre and a naturally meat-like texture — unlocking new possibilities across meat alternatives, hybrid products, and entirely new food categories. All this below the price of chicken meat.

We partner with food brands, manufacturers, and foodservice leaders to bring innovative, delicious products to market, from concept to launch. We recently closed a €23M Series A led by Oetker Ventures and Royal Cosun, giving us the fuel to scale Libre into more kitchens, factories, and supermarket shelves worldwide.

Job Description

The Position:

Planetary is recruiting for a full-time Application Scientist to work closely together with the sales & R&D team to develop our mycelium-based meat and dairy alternative protein business. The role requires experience in recipe development for consumer appealing products. Reporting into the Commercial Director and the CPO, the candidate will collaborate closely with sales, business development, (trade) marketing and fermentation R&D team, and is centred around the following activities to enable planetary's strategic objective of building and servicing a global network of industrial-scale bioprocessing facilities:

• Develop and sample a range of concepts in meat style and dairy style products based on fungal biomass/mycoprotein around and precision fermented protein such as egg albumin, casein, and whey protein
• Build experience in emerging categories such as hybrid meat products, protein fortification and nutraceutical applications around gut-microbiome / GLP1 context
• Provide guidance and advise to the fermentation team on effects of changes to the fermentation process on physical, chemical, and microbial attributes of the mycoprotein or finished product
• Manage the company facilities and infrastructure of the food development kitchen and the analytical laboratory
• Presentation of raw material and food products, including concept ideas to prospective clients in Switzerland and abroad, when required
• Ensure mycoprotein functionality meets customer requirements in final products
• Assist in troubleshooting application challenges in collaboration with customers
• Contribute to the rollout of new applications in partnership with sales / product teams
• Collaborate with the commercial team in preparing product information, general process flow charts and pricing material

Preferred Experience

• Qualifications and Experience:
  • Affinity with the food sector, we like to have foodies in the house!
  • Bachelor's degree in Food Science or a related field
  • 2–5 years of experience in the meat or vegan / vegetarian industry
  • Hands-on experience with application processing and pilot plant equipment ideally
  • Proven ability to assist in developing new application, improving existing formulations, and ensuring product consistency
  • Basic understanding of chemical and microbiological aspects of consumer products, with a focus on great taste, quality and safety
  • Experience with ingredient functionality and its impact on texture, taste, product stability
  • Ability to communicate in English, German and/ or French a strong plus

Recruitment Process

We keep things straightforward and human. Here's what to expect:

1. Application — Submit your CV and a short motivation

2. Intro call — 30-minute call with our recruiter to get to know each other and answer your questions

3. Interview with the team — A deeper conversation with he hiring manager focused on your food science background and hands-on experience

4. Final interview — Meeting with the Leadership Team

We aim to move fast and keep you informed at every step. Total process typically takes 3–4 weeks.

Planetary is an equal opportunity employer actively recruiting for diversity. Through hiring, we aim to close the gender gap, create opinion plurality, fight age discrimination, foster cultural diversity and promote freedom of self-expression.

Additional Information

• Contract Type: Full-Time
• Start Date: 01 May 2026
• Location: Gland
• Education Level: Bachelor's Degree
• Experience: > 2 years