New Product Development Specialist

Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream; Bakersfield (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream seeks a New Product Development Specialist to provide technical leadership for innovation and renovation projects in the ice cream business. You will lead project teams from brief to factory handover, coordinating Marketing, Factories and Procurement to deliver on time with quality and regulatory adherence.

The role involves hands-on plant-floor support to solve technical issues, documentation handovers, and driving continuous improvement in product/process mastery

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Food Science, Food Chemistry, Nutrition, or a similar field.
• 2–5 years in Food & Beverage, ideally product development, nutrition, quality assurance, or manufacturing.
• Knowledge of food safety standards and ingredients/allergens.
• Ability to work on the plant floor and support factory operations.

Responsibilities

• Own the implementation of Innovation & Renovation projects from brief to factory handover.
• Lead cross-functional teams to scope, drive goals, and meet deadlines while respecting factory capabilities.
• Perform product and process development activities (mockups, bench tests, pilot runs, factory testing).
• Ensure timely hand-over of new product documentation for successful industrialization.
• Secure technical and commercial sign-off; align with company and regulatory standards.
• Transfer knowledge to factories and drive continuous improvement.

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Food science knowledge

Plant floor support

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Food Science/related field

Job description

The New Product Development Specialist will provide technical leadership for innovation and renovation projects for the ice cream business! This role serves as the technical and project management lead on project teams driving delivery of the “Innovation & Renovation”, “Buy Better”, “Factory support”, “Quality improvement” “Alternative supply” and “Vertical Integration” projects. The New Product Development Technologist provides product & process knowledge and support to the factories to solve technical issues and drive continuous improvement.

This person will also drive efficiency by being the link between idea and execution, and ensuring products are transitioned to the plants in a way that removes barriers to production and enables speed as well as quality. They will spend time on the plant floor to provide product & process knowledge and support to the factories to solve technical issues and drive continuous improvement. Accelerate your development with tangible real-time feedback – bring your ideas to life and be part of what happens next!

Key Actions and Accountabilities:

• Own the Implementation of Innovation & Renovation projects in the Market from brief to Factory handover.
• Work with cross functional team (Marketing, Factories, Procurement, Material suppliers, etc.) to scope, and drive project team, utilizing project management tools, to achieve project goals, respect factory capabilities, keep to deadlines to ultimately delight the consumer.
• Perform product & process development activities (e.g. mockup, bench top, pilot plant, distribution testing, and factory testing) to achieve project goals and deadlines.
• Assure accuracy and a timely hand-over of new product documentation to the factory team to allow for a successful industrialization.
• Completion of costs, concept and technical dossier forms and ensures technical and commercial sign-off.
• Ensure adherence to all regulatory, legal and company standards. Align with Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream requirements (includes Nutritional Requirement and Sustainability), external standards, and local regulatory framework.
• Work closely with internal procurement teams, and technical to ensure all new materials don’t add additional complexity and / risk and or waste to the factory
• Continuous improvement of technical skills and personal development, while growing internal and external networks.
• Develop expertise for product/process mastership within NPD. Develop the proficiencies required for product/process mastership to be able to support our factory operations.
• Provide first line support to factories. Ensure knowledge transfer related to product/process mastership to eliminate the root cause of assistance requests
• Has a strong knowledge of ice cream raw materials, recipe, product and process across the factories (Factory experience, Pilot plant, formalized learning and mentorship programs)

Behaviors

Performance – Open to change and will always look for better, simpler, and more effective ways of operating.

Hands on approach. – Decisions and plans based on seeing and being part of the event, not solely based on report reading.

Zero compromise on Quality and excellence. – Hygiene, Process, Labor resource and Waste.

Entrepreneurial – challenges the status quo and explores new ideas and opportunities.

Continually striving to increase the knowledge of the processes and products - Understand all tasks, processes and activities as an expert in Ice cream.

Teamwork – Commitment and enthusiasm to working together to achieve better outcomes.

Accountability – Personal commitment, full participant who uses personal impact to build the business.

Consumer focused – Produce product to the agreed quality standards.

Know Your People – Spend time getting to know your people, their skills, interests, knowledge, etc.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Food Science, Food Chemistry, Nutrition, or a similar field required

EXPERIENCE:

• 2-5 years of experience in the Food & Beverage industry, ideally in product development, nutrition, quality assurance, or food manufacturing preferred.
• Successful Food Science internships or co-ops or prior food manufacturing experience preferred.
• Understanding of industry quality and food safety standards
• Knowledge of food and beverage raw materials, food packaging materials, food additives and allergens

The pay scale for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. At Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. The pay range for prospective employees in this role is between $70,000 and $80,000 per year.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.