Product Developer

RespectFarms; Leiden; On-site; EUR 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

RespectFarms is seeking a Product Developer to design and develop cultivated and hybrid meat products from concept to realization. The role focuses on creating tasty, innovative offerings, optimizing formulations, and driving scale-out trials at prototype level.

The candidate will lead sensory evaluation, manage documentation, and stay informed on new technologies and market trends in alternative proteins, contributing to a sustainable meat production model.

Qualifications

• MSc in Food Science, Food Technology, Biotechnology, or a related field.
• 1–5 years of experience in product development within food, biotechnology, cultivated meat, or alt protein.
• Hands-on experience with food formulation, ingredient functionality, and processing technologies.
• Experience with sensory evaluation methods and data interpretation.
• Knowledge of food safety, quality systems, and regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop innovative cultivated and hybrid meat product concepts for sensory evaluation, functionality testing, and scale-out activities.
• Optimize product formulations with a focus on taste, aroma, texture, appearance, nutritional value, and consumer acceptance.
• Evaluate and select ingredients, functional systems, and processing technologies to improve product performance and manufacturability.
• Plan, execute, and analyse product development trials at prototype scale.
• Lead sensory evaluation activities and translate data into actionable product improvements.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, product specifications, SOPs, and raw material databases.
• Identify and implement analytical methodologies to assess product quality, stability, texture, and nutritional characteristics.
• Stay informed on emerging food technologies, ingredients, market trends, and competitive developments within alternative proteins and cultivated meat.

Skills

Food formulation

Sensory evaluation

Project management

Regulatory knowledge

Education

MSc in Food Science/Technology or Biotechnology

Job description

Location : Leiden (office) and Schipluiden (farm) - Netherlands

Type : Full-time

ABOUT RESPECTFARMS

RespectFarms is a start-up in the cellular agriculture industry, located in the Netherlands. With a long history in cultivated meat , our vision is to sustainably transform our food system by integrating the best out of the conventional and the cellular agriculture industry. We, therefore, see ourselves as system integrator. We will optimize, productize and commercialize the first cultivated meat farm by 2030, with 1000 more farms to come by 2038.

Our approach focuses decentralized (scale-out) production, modular bioprocess systems, farmer-operated facilities, automation-first design, and practical deployment in real agricultural environments.

We aim to redesign the meat supply chain so that farmers stay economically relevant, food production becomes more sustainable and meat production happens closer to consumers. We are looking for a product developer who is passionate about food innovation and eager to contribute to the future of cultivated meat by help designing and developing the next generation of cultivated meat products.

ABOUT THE ROLE

• Design and develop innovative cultivated and hybrid meat product concepts for sensory evaluation, functionality testing, and scale-out activities
• Optimize product formulations with a focus on taste, aroma, texture, appearance, nutritional value, and consumer acceptance
• Evaluate and select ingredients, functional systems, and processing technologies to improve product performance and manufacturability
• Plan, execute, and analyse product development trials at prototype scale
• Lead sensory evaluation activities and translate data into actionable product improvements
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, product specifications, SOPs, and raw material databases
• Identify and implement analytical methodologies to assess product quality, stability, texture, and nutritional characteristics
• Stay informed on emerging food technologies, ingredients, market trends, and competitive developments within alternative proteins and cultivated meat

YOUR PROFILE

We are looking for a Product Developer, who can create tasty and creative products from concept to realization. Qualifications needed for this role:

• MSc in Food Science, Food Technology, Biotechnology, or a related field
• 1–5 years of experience in product development within the food, biotechnology, cultivated meat, or alternative protein industry
• Hands-on experience with food formulation, ingredient functionality, and processing technologies
• Experience with sensory evaluation methods and data interpretation
• Knowledge of food safety, quality systems, and regulatory requirements
• Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to independently drive projects forward until realization
  

WHY JOIN

• Work on the first cultivated meat farm
• Build technology with real-world deployment
• Collaborate with biotech, agritech, and farming partners
• Help shape a new production model for sustainable protein
• Contribute to decentralized food production systems

Get in touch with us