R&D Assistant (food)

AppleOne Employment Services; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 29,000 - 31,000; Full time

Job summary

AppleOne Employment Services in Irvine, CA seeks an R&D Assistant for a direct hire in a food and beverage production setting. Ideal for those with 1–2 years of hands-on bakery production, product development, or food testing experience.

The role supports formulation, ingredient testing, sample prep, and production line trials, collaborating with product development, sales, suppliers, brokers, and customers. Monday–Friday schedule with a hands-on, fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• 1-2 years of relevant experience in food production, bakery production, R&D support, or related technical production role.
• Knowledge of dough and filling handling, proofing, baking, and finishing processes.
• Ability to follow detailed instructions, procedures, and testing protocols carefully.
• Strong communication skills for working with internal departments and outside contacts.
• Reliable, detail-oriented and able to work in a hands-on food manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

• Support product development activities, including formulation assistance, ingredient evaluation, and production testing.
• Obtain, prepare, and test materials used in dough, filling, proofing, baking, and finishing processes.
• Assist with production line testing to evaluate product quality, consistency, and process performance.
• Prepare and bake product samples for shows, customer presentations, and internal review.
• Communicate with customers, brokers, sales team members, and suppliers to support R&D activities.
• Complete miscellaneous R&D tasks while following food safety, quality, and procedural standards.

Skills

Food formulation

Testing

Sample preparation

Production line trials

Cross-functional communication

Documentation

Attention to detail

Team player

Food safety knowledge

Job description

Job Summary

We are seeking an R&D Assistant for a direct hire opportunity in a food and beverage production environment in Irvine, CA. This role is ideal for someone with 1 to 2 years of hands‑on experience in bakery production, product development, food testing, or technical production support.

The R&D Assistant will support product formulation, ingredient testing, sample preparation, and production line trials. This is a great opportunity to work closely with product development, sales, suppliers, brokers, and customers while gaining valuable experience in food manufacturing and commercial bakery processes.

This position offers a steady Monday through Friday schedule, a collaborative team environment, and the chance to contribute to new product development in a hands‑on, fast‑paced setting. Candidates who enjoy detailed work, food science, baking processes, and cross‑functional teamwork will find this role especially rewarding.

Key Responsibilities

• Support product development activities, including formulation assistance, ingredient evaluation, and production testing.
• Obtain, prepare, and test materials used in dough, filling, proofing, baking, and finishing processes.
• Assist with production line testing to evaluate product quality, consistency, and process performance.
• Prepare and bake product samples for shows, customer presentations, and internal review.
• Communicate with customers, brokers, sales team members, and suppliers to support R&D activities.
• Complete miscellaneous R&D tasks while following food safety, quality, and procedural standards.

Compensation and Benefits

• Pay range: $21 to $22.50 per hour.
• Job type: Direct hire.
• Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
• Lunch: 30-minute lunch period.
• Location: Irvine, CA 92618.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Support food product formulation, testing, and production line trials.
• Prepare and bake samples for product development, shows, and customer-related needs.
• Coordinate with internal teams, suppliers, brokers, sales representatives, and customers.
• Assist with R&D documentation, testing procedures, and sample preparation tasks.
• 1 to 2 years of relevant experience in food production, bakery production, R&D support, or a related technical production role.
• Knowledge of dough and filling handling, proofing, baking, and finishing processes.
• Understanding of food safety standards and the importance of quality control in a production environment.
• Ability to follow detailed instructions, procedures, and testing protocols carefully.
• Strong communication skills for working with internal departments and outside contacts.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
• Reliable, detail-oriented, and comfortable working in a hands‑on food manufacturing environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience in bakery, pastry, frozen dough, bread, fillings, or commercial food manufacturing.
• Experience supporting R&D, product testing, sample preparation, or new product development.
• Familiarity with production line trials, ingredient testing, or customer sample preparation.
• Interest in food science, baking technology, product innovation, or technical food production.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disabled / Protected Veterans

The Know Your Rights poster is available here: https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12.pdf

The pay transparency policy is available here: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ofccp/pdf/pay-transp_%20English_formattedESQA508c.pdf

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact your staffing representative who will reach out to our HR team.

E-Verify : AppleOne participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations as required by law. Learn more about the E-Verify program.

We also consider for employment qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements, including, if applicable, the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. Pursuant to applicable state and municipal Fair Chance Laws and Ordinances, we will consider for employment-qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, including, if applicable, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. For Los Angeles, CA applicants: Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.