R&D Commercialization Director - Food & Beverage

Kinsa Group; Houston, Chicago (TX, IL, FL); On-site; USD 185,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

401(k)

PTO & holiday pay

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Kinsa Group is seeking an R&D Technical Commercialization Director for onsite roles in Houston, Chicago, or central Florida. Onsite with relocation and up to 40% travel. You will translate product innovation into scalable commercial launches across plant and customer interfaces.

The role combines deep food science with strong commercial communication to validate formulations under plant conditions and guide launch readiness for internal and customer stakeholders.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in food and beverage R&D, including commercialization.
• Experience leading multiple projects and cross-functional teams.
• Hands-on expertise in SSP processes, beverage formulation, scale-up, stability, TA/pH/Brix, and labeling.

Responsibilities

• Design and validate formulations for actual plant processes (hot-fill, pasteurization, low-acid aseptic, dry blend).
• Lead the stage-gate process and coordinate Sales, Marketing, Operations, and Supply Chain around priorities and milestones.
• Drive cost, quality, margin, and process improvements while leading the R&D lab and supporting the 12–24 month pipeline.
• Travel up to 40%.

Skills

Product development

Formulation

Cross-functional leadership

Project management

Food safety

Quality improvement

Scale-up

Commercial communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science / Food Chemistry / Chemical Engineering

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Stage-gate process

Job description

Kinsa Group is seeking an R&D Technical Commercialization Director for onsite roles in Houston, Chicago, or central Florida. Onsite with relocation and up to 40% travel. You will translate product innovation into scalable commercial launches across plant and customer interfaces.

The role combines deep food science with strong commercial communication to validate formulations under plant conditions and guide launch readiness for internal and customer stakeholders.