Senior Lead Scientist, Toxicology

About the role

IFF, a global leader in flavors, fragrances, food ingredients and health & biosciiences, is looking for a Senior Lead Scientist in Toxicology. The role applies toxicology expertise, digital innovation and scientific judgment to help shape safe and sustainable flavor solutions. It can be based in Hilversum, Netherlands or Barcelona, Spain, on a hybrid basis.

Key responsibilities

• Provide toxicology and risk assessment expertise for flavor ingredients and products used across global markets.
• Partner with R&D teams to evaluate the safety profile of new flavor ingredients and technologies.
• Design and coordinate testing strategies supporting ingredient approvals, registrations and scientific substantiation across multiple regulatory regions.
• Translate toxicological data into clear recommendations for internal stakeholders, regulators, trade associations and customers.
• Support customer inquiries with scientific safety assessments for ingredients in food, beverage, nutrition and pharmaceutical applications.
• Leverage digital platforms and data tools to improve toxicology workflows and decision-making.
• Represent IFF in industry associations, scientific consortia and expert networks, and monitor regulatory and industry developments.

Required profile

• Advanced degree (MSc, PhD or equivalent) in Toxicology, Pharmacology, Risk Assessment or a related discipline.
• 5+ years of industry experience in toxicology, risk assessment, product safety or a related field (flavors, fragrance and/or pharmaceuticals).
• Strong experience in toxicological evaluations and interpreting complex scientific data.
• Ability to communicate technical findings to scientific and non-scientific audiences.
• Cross-functional experience with R&D, Regulatory Affairs, Product Stewardship, Quality and Commercial teams.
• Strong project management and organizational skills in a global matrix environment, and excellent written and spoken English.

Required skills

• Advantageous: computational toxicology, digital toxicology platforms, automation tools or AI applications.
• Advantageous: established network across industry, academia, regulators or trade associations.
• Advantageous: familiarity with flavor chemistry and regulatory frameworks such as FDA, FEFMA and EFSA.

What we offer

• A global role with visibility across R&D, Regulatory, Commercial and Product Stewardship functions.
• Flexible hybrid work in Hilversum or Barcelona.
• Ongoing learning and development, including exposure to emerging technologies and AI.