Joseph Hildebrand

Pilot Plant Manager, NC Food Innovation Lab

Joseph Hildebrand serves NCFIL as its Pilot Plant Manager. Joe manages the 3,000 sf pilot plant and its equipment, leading daily operations for production, planning and execution. After graduating from NC State with a biochemistry degree, he worked for Pfizer as a fermentation scientist focused on vaccine development, giving him a foundation in fundamental research and intense documentation requirements. Moving from biological to material science, Joe made LEDs in his next job with Cree, where he honed his management skills as shift lead. Joe returned to NC State where he earned his Masters in Food Science with a focus on fermentation. He then joined PepsiCo’s Brand Stewardship Group in New York and worked internationally, reformulating carbonated beverages. Team highlights include qualifying a new flavor facility in Singapore and conducting scale-up runs in Saudi Arabia. Following the Pepsi-Lipton partnership, Joe worked on Pure Leaf products, including the Herbal and Cold Brew lines. He looks forward to helping others bring their product from concept to market.