Senior Product Developer

Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee; Mississauga; On-site; CAD 95,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits from day 1

Employer matched retirement savings

Wellness spending accounts

Employee product discounts

Tuition assistance

Job summary

Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee seeks a Senior Product Developer to lead product development from concept through scale‑up to commercialization. You will provide technical leadership to the Product Development team and coordinate with Operations to ensure successful launches and scalable processes.

You will develop new products, run sensory analyses, and create robust specifications and protocols. The role requires strong project management, collaboration across functions, and a readiness to travel

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in food science, food processing or engineering is preferred.
• 5–10 years in Food & Beverage or Consumer Packaged Goods (coffee experience preferred).
• Experience in sensory evaluation with third-party panels.
• Minimum of 5–10 years in product development including equipment interaction.
• Experience with branded and private label products.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration.
• Ability to manage expectations and handle ambiguity.
• Thorough knowledge of ingredient/formula impact on manufacturing.
• Data-driven with ability to make technical recommendations.
• Strong project management for complex initiatives.
• Strong attention to detail and problem-solving.
• Willingness to travel (1–2x/year).
• External sensory certification preferred (e.g., Q-Arabica Grader).

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership to Product Developers and Development team.
• Support Operations with new product launches and scale‑up to manufacturing.
• Develop new products and leading tastings/approvals.
• Conduct product physical and sensory analyses to set direction.
• Develop product specifications for manufacturing systems and new technologies.
• Validate new products and processes; prepare protocols and reports.
• Participate in quality and product improvement activities; approve packaging info.
• Apply product/process interaction knowledge to deliver cost-effective solutions.
• Plan and execute DoE studies; coordinate scale-up trials.
• Participate as cross-functional team member; manage projects.
• Evaluate and document sensory profiles for raw materials and finished goods.
• Standardize sensory practices across the business.
• Meet customer sensory specifications and prepare samples.

Skills

Sensory evaluation

Cross-functional collaboration

Data-driven decision making

Project management

Communication skills

Problem solving

Travel willingness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in food science/food processing/engineering

Job description

Who is Mother Parkers?

We are one of the largest tea and coffee manufacturers in North America, with a mission to create a better beverage experience for our customers. As a leading customer solutions provider to some of North America’s largest retailers and foodservice chains, we use state‑of‑the‑art technology and new product innovation to help our customers grow their business and deliver superior products to their clientele. Our team of coffee and tea experts are deeply passionate about what we do, proud of our 100+ years of business success, and excited about building a future with endless possibilities. Come join our team and work among the best, collaborate with high performers, and contribute to challenging work every day!

Who is Mother Parkers?

We are one of the largest tea and coffee manufacturers in North America, with a mission to create a better beverage experience for our customers. As a leading customer solutions provider to some of North America’s largest retailers and foodservice chains, we use state‑of‑the‑art technology and new product innovation to help our customers grow their business and deliver superior products to their clientele. Our team of coffee and tea experts are deeply passionate about what we do, proud of our 100+ years of business success, and excited about building a future with endless possibilities. Come join our team and work among the best, collaborate with high performers, and contribute to challenging work every day!

The Role

The Senior Product Developer is a subject matter expert in the area of product development, product and process interaction and sensory evaluation. This position enables a smooth development path for complex and diverse product development initiatives. As the Senior Product Developer, this position provides technical expertise and project management for products from the concept phase through scale‑up to successful commercialization for ground‑up innovation and customer‑led product development.

What You Get To Do

• Providing technical expertise and leadership to Product Developers and Product Development team
• Providing technical expertise and leadership to Operations to support new and improved product launches. Accountable for best in class scale‑up to manufacturing.
• Developing new products, concepts and applications and leading product tastings and product approvals with internal stakeholders
• Conducting product physical and sensory analysis to set product development direction
• Developing specifications for new products for suitability with existing manufacturing systems and feasibly of new technologies, including establishing physical and sensory profile product specifications.
• Validating new products and processes, making technical recommendations on product/process interactions, leading the preparation of protocols and technical reports for product development activities and approving product packaging, label and nutritional information
• Participating in quality and product improvement activities in addition to establishing and approving product packaging, label and nutritional information
• Appling product and process interaction knowledge to deliver quality and cost effective product solutions
• Planning, preparing and executing design of experiment studies and coordinating product trials for scale‑up
• Participating as an active member in cross‑functional project teams, responsible for all Project Management Activities
• Evaluating, describing and documenting the product sensory profile for raw materials, products in development, and finished goods. This includes utilizing side by side comparisons, comparing samples to a sensory profile specification and developing ground up sensory profile specification for new products.
• Conducting sensory assessments to standardize sensory assessment practices and protocol across the business
• Responsible for meeting all customer specific sensory specifications and requirements when developing customer specific products, preparing product samples for customers

What You Bring To The Role

• Bachelor’s degree in food science, Food Processing or Engineering preferred, or a combination of equivalent education/work experience is requirrd.
• 5 – 10 years in Food and Beverage Industry or Consumer Product Goods (coffee experience preferred).
• Experience in sensory evaluation. The ability to assess product objectively, directed sensory panels with experience working with third parties
• A minimum of 5 10 years of relevant product development including product process (equipment) interaction.
• Experience working with both branded and private label products
• Excellent communication skills, including experience delivering well thought‑out presentations and working with cross‑functional teams
• Ability to manage expectations and deal with ambiguity and coaching others through complex situations
• Thorough knowledge of impact of ingredients and formula on manufacturing
• Demonstrated experience in developing, executing, analyzing and interpreting data to make sound technical recommendations
• Strong Project Management capability with demonstrated experience in managing complex projects or initiatives
• Strong attention to detail
• Proven relationship‑building and problem‑solving capabilities
• Ability to travel – potentially to Customers (1-2 x/year) or to Fort Worth to support projects. Flexibility is key.
• External sensory proficiency certification is preferred (e.g. Q-Arabica Grader, Certified Tea Sommelier, etc)

What We Offer You

• Competitive Total Rewards package – health benefits coverage on day 1, employer matched retirement savings plans, optional Health or Wellness Spending Accounts.
• Employee discount program on our coffee and tea products.
• Annual Safety Shoes Program – your safety is our #1 priority.
• Tuition Assistance Program – we value continuous learning and self-development.
• The hiring range for this role is $95,000 - $105,000.

This posting is for an existing/new vacancy.

We use AI enabled tools to support parts of our selection process; however, every hiring decision is reviewed and finalized by our people.

While Mother Parkers welcomes all applications, we do not accept unsolicited resumes from employment agencies or search firms. Only those candidates who meet the minimum requirements will be contacted. Mother Parkers is committed to providing accommodation for persons with disabilities. Accommodation is available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

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