Product Development Specialist

Addison Group; Sardis (MS); On-site; USD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Addison Group is seeking a Product Development Specialist to support innovation, lab testing, pilot production, and quality validation within a manufacturing setting. This role blends science, product development, operations, and customer support to move products from development through testing and scale-up toward customer or field evaluation.

The ideal candidate will enjoy hands-on lab work and operational coordination, maintaining high standards for documentation, traceability, and

Qualifications

• Must have lab operations or product development experience and strong documentation practices.
• Experience with quality systems and manufacturing environments is preferred.
• Proficiency with MS Office and ERP familiarity is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Support laboratory and plant activities for new product development and validation.
• Assist with validation and scale-up in partnership with Operations and QA/QC.
• Perform analytical testing and maintain thorough notebooks and records.
• Maintain product development documents and batch/shipment data in ERP systems.
• Coordinate sample requests and support leadership reporting and ISO docs.

Skills

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Multi-tasking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Chemistry, Agricultural Science, Environmental Science, or related field

Associate’s degree with relevant experience

Tools

Microsoft Office

NetSuite ERP

ISO 17025 familiarity

Job description

Compensation: $80 to $90K + bonus, depending on experience

Employment Type: Full-Time, Hourly / Non-Exempt

About the Opportunity

We are seeking a highly organized, hands-on Product Development Specialist to support product innovation, laboratory testing, pilot production, and quality validation within a manufacturing environment. This position sits at the intersection of science, product development, operations, and customer support, helping move new products from development and formulation through testing, scale-up, and customer or field evaluation. The ideal candidate enjoys both laboratory work and operational coordination and takes pride in maintaining high standards for quality, documentation, traceability, and responsiveness.

Key Responsibilities

• Support laboratory and plant activities related to new product development and formulation validation.
• Assist with product validation and scale-up activities in partnership with Operations and QA/QC.
• Perform analytical testing using laboratory equipment and established SOPs.
• Maintain accurate laboratory notebooks, experimental records, and product development documentation.
• Identify and recommend process improvements that increase efficiency, accuracy, and customer responsiveness.
• Partner with cross-functional and customer-facing teams to support project timelines and deliverables.
• Provide regular updates on product development projects and sample fulfillment.
• Coordinate incoming and outgoing product sample requests for internal and customer-facing teams.
• Maintain finished goods sample inventory and retention samples.
• Maintain product development procedures, technical documentation, and quality records.
• Maintain ERP and document management systems with accurate batch, lot, and shipment information.
• Assist with presentations, technical summaries, and leadership reporting.
• Support ISO documentation and continuous improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Chemistry, Agricultural Science, Environmental Science, or a related field; an Associate’s degree with relevant experience will also be considered.
• 1-2 years of experience in laboratory operations, product development, quality, manufacturing, inventory management, or a related environment.
• Strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with ISO 17025 or other quality management systems.
• Experience with ERP systems; NetSuite experience is a plus.
• Familiarity with laboratory instrumentation and analytical testing.
• Experience coordinating FedEx/LTL shipments and international documentation.
• Background in agriculture, fertilizers, biological products, humates, chemicals, or related manufacturing.
• Experience supporting pilot-plant operations or manufacturing scale-up.

What the Opportunity Offers

• The opportunity to work at the intersection of science, product development, and manufacturing innovation.
• Hands-on exposure to pilot-scale processing, analytical testing, and product validation.
• A collaborative, people-focused environment with an emphasis on continuous improvement.