Lead Nutritional Bar R&D Formulation Scientist

The Judge Group; Santa Fe Springs (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

The Judge Group is seeking a Senior R&D Formulator to lead the formulation of nutritional bars on site in California. You will drive the full product lifecycle from bench-scale concept through pilot trials to full-scale production, serving as a technical resource for cross-functional partners and external customers.

Key responsibilities include scale-up, cost optimization, and strong mentorship, with a focus on cGMP, HACCP, SQF, and FDA guidelines.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant scientific discipline; Master’s preferred.
• Minimum of 8+ years hands-on formulation experience in dietary supplements, nutraceuticals, functional foods, or OTC manufacturing.
• Proven track record developing and commercializing nutritional bars, including high-volume extrusion.

Responsibilities

• Lead formulation, development, and commercialization of nutritional bars from concept to production.
• Direct pilot plant trials, scale-up, and technical transfer to high-speed production lines.
• Design and optimize formulas for stability, sensory profiles, shelf-life, and manufacturability while managing cost-reduction initiatives.
• Mentor junior formulators and provide hands-on technical leadership.
• Collaborate with Operations, QA, Regulatory, Procurement, and Sales to align R&D timelines with business goals.
• Provide customer-facing technical support during product development and specify product requirements.
• Ensure compliance with cGMP, HACCP, SQF, and FDA guidelines (21 CFR Parts 101 and 111).
• Maintain meticulous R&D documentation and manage product specs in ERP/MRP; leverage AI tools to accelerate workflows.

Skills

Nutritional bar dev

Formulation depth

Process scale-up

Regulatory compliance

Project management

Customer-facing comms

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or related field

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

AI-enabled R&D tools

Job description

The Judge Group is seeking a Senior R&D Formulator to lead the formulation of nutritional bars on site in California. You will drive the full product lifecycle from bench-scale concept through pilot trials to full-scale production, serving as a technical resource for cross-functional partners and external customers.

Key responsibilities include scale-up, cost optimization, and strong mentorship, with a focus on cGMP, HACCP, SQF, and FDA guidelines.