Head of Food R&D & Product Innovation

Jobtailor; Imperial (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Kevin’s Natural Foods seeks a seasoned R&D leader to guide an innovative product development team from ideation through commercialization. You will oversee formulation, costing, sourcing, and process optimization while ensuring GMP/HACCP and regulatory compliance.

Cross-functional collaboration with nutritionists, QA/QC, and marketing will be essential to deliver high-quality, market-ready products. You will drive strategic product innovation, manage ambitious timelines, and mentor teams to

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Nutrition, or Culinary School certification; advanced degree a plus.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in food product development in a manufacturing environment, with at least 2 years in a leadership role.
• Deep knowledge of ingredient functionality, flavor development, sensory evaluation, and clean-label product development.
• Strong understanding of GMP, HACCP, food safety, and regulatory compliance.
• Proven experience managing teams, projects, and cross-functional initiatives in a fast paced environment.
• Experience with paleo/keto or specialized dietary products is a strong plus.
• Proficiency with nutritional software, quality systems, spreadsheets, and lab documentation.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop an R&D team, fostering a culture of innovation, curiosity, and accountability.
• Oversee all aspects of new product development from ideation to commercialization.
• Drive project prioritization, resource allocation, and timelines for launches.
• Lead recipe formulation, costing, ingredient sourcing, and process optimization with compliance.
• Collaborate with nutritionists, QA/QC, and culinary teams to meet nutrition, sensory, and safety standards.
• Evaluate emerging food trends and new ingredients for innovative processing techniques.
• Set strategic vision for product innovation aligned with company goals and market insights.
• Partner with Marketing, Sales, and Brand for launches, packaging, and campaigns.
• Assist with taste panels, consumer testing, and sensory evaluations.

Skills

Food product development

Team leadership

Project management

GMP

HACCP

Regulatory compliance

Flavor development

Sensory evaluation

Cross-functional collaboration

Analytical skills

Nutritional software proficiency

Lab documentation

Ingredient functionality

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science

Food Technology

Nutrition

Culinary School Certification

Advanced degree (preferred)

Tools

Spreadsheets

Nutritional software

Quality systems

Job description

Kevin’s Natural Foods seeks a seasoned R&D leader to guide an innovative product development team from ideation through commercialization. You will oversee formulation, costing, sourcing, and process optimization while ensuring GMP/HACCP and regulatory compliance.

Cross-functional collaboration with nutritionists, QA/QC, and marketing will be essential to deliver high-quality, market-ready products. You will drive strategic product innovation, manage ambitious timelines, and mentor teams to