R&D Associate

SCG; Vaughan; On-site; CAD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A fast-growing food company in Vaughan is seeking an R&D Associate to join the Research and Development team. The role involves supporting R&D trials and commercialization of food products while ensuring compliance with food safety and quality regulations. Candidates should possess a degree in relevant fields and have 1-2 years of experience in food manufacturing, showcasing strong documentation and collaboration skills. This position offers the opportunity to work closely with cross-functional teams across various stages of product development.

Qualifications

• 1-2 years of experience in food manufacturing or a technical/lab role.
• Experience in documentation and compliance with food safety standards.

Responsibilities

• Support R&D trials and sample builds in compliance with GMPs.
• Coordinate pre-launch testing and commercialization support.
• Capture, organize, and summarize trial results and documentation.
• Maintain product information for regulatory compliance.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support production trials.

Skills

Food safety compliance

Documentation skills

Collaboration

Education

Degree or advanced diploma in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry

Job description

Overview

Position: R&D Associate
Date: Jan 2026
Education: Degree or advanced diploma in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry, or a related field

Experience: 1-2 years of experience in food manufacturing, or a technical/lab role.

A fast-growing Vaughan-based food company operating multiple brands across retail, foodservice, and manufacturing throughout the USA and Canada is seeking a dedicated R&D Associate to join our Research and Development team.

Role Overview

This role is an execution-focused position that supports the R&D Lead and cross-functional teams in developing, testing, and commercializing food products, while ensuring compliance with food safety, quality, and regulatory requirements. The position provides hands-on support for trials and sample builds, maintains organized records and project trackers, and helps move projects from concept through launch. A key part of the role is maintaining strong, contemporaneous documentation to support SR&ED and other government-funded initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Support R&D trials and sample builds, including weighing, blending, and preparation in compliance with GMPs, allergen controls, and food safety requirements.
• Coordinate pre-launch testing and commercialization support, including sensory, stability, shelf-life testing, packaging checks, labeling verification, and sample management.
• Capture, organize, and summarize trial results, risks, and next steps through accurate, contemporaneous documentation to support decision-making and SR&ED requirements.
• Maintain and update product information, documentation, for regulatory compliance, certifications, customer portals, and government-funded initiatives.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with QA, Production, Supply Chain, Marketing, and Sales to support scale-up, production trials, and product launches.

Note: Employee may be required to perform other duties as necessary to support the operational needs of the organization.