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The Food Research and Development Manager provides technical leadership across the Private Brands portfolio, ensuring products are developed, commercialized, and maintained with scientific rigor. This role is responsible for ensuring all products meet regulatory and brand QA standards while performing consistently over their intended shelf life. The position requires close collaboration with cross-functional internal teams and external suppliers to drive technical excellence and support long-term growth and operational excellence.
Job Responsibility
Lead end-to-end technical research and development and commercialization for innovation, renovation, and maintenance initiatives across the Private Brands portfolio
Apply and continuously improve technical development and commercialization systems that embed food safety, regulatory compliance, QA standards, and shelf-life considerations
Translate product concepts into scalable, manufacturable formulations and processes, ensuring technical readiness for launch
Own product performance over shelf life, including defining test strategies, validating assumptions, and managing technical risk for formulation, process, and supplier changes
Ensure all products comply with applicable food regulations and brand QA standards
Partner closely with QA, Regulatory, Legal, and Sensory to support approvals, audits, testing, and ongoing compliance
Serve as a primary technical partner to co-manufacturers, establishing expectations for quality, performance, and compliance
Identify opportunities for continuous improvement and lead implementation with suppliers and internal teams
Support supplier performance management, including technical input to scorecards, corrective actions, and continuous improvement
Partner with Strategic Sourcing to identify, qualify, and onboard new suppliers through technical evaluations and capability assessments
Develop, govern, and maintain technical specifications and standards, including formulations, ingredients, processes, and shelf-life assumptions
Lead technical change management, ensuring changes are evaluated, documented, approved, and executed in a controlled manner
Requirements
Bachelor's degree in food science, Food Engineering, Chemistry, or related field
6-12 years of relevant work experience
5+ years of project management experience
Strong technical knowledge of food chemistry, microbiology, and processing technologies
Expertise in formulation development, ingredient functionality, and food product optimization
Proficiency in experimental design, product testing methodologies, and data analysis
Understanding food safety principles, HACCP, and regulatory requirements for food products
Experience with sensory evaluation techniques and consumer testing methodologies
Strong project management skills with ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
Excellent problem-solving abilities with a solutions-oriented approach
Effective communication and documentation skills to present technical information to various audiences
Ability to translate consumer insights and market trends into viable product concepts
Strong supplier relationship management skills with experience in technical oversight
Collaborative mindset with demonstrated success working in cross-functional environments
Proficiency with R&D documentation systems and product lifecycle management tools