R&D Food Product Development Specialist

JobDiva, Inc.; Glenview (IL); On-site; USD 197,713,000 - 200,579,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Health savings account

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Flexible spending accounts

Life insurance

Retirement plan

Job summary

Kraft Heinz is seeking an R&D Product Development Specialist for its Glenview, IL facility. This 1-year contract role involves benchtop formulation, prototype development, analytical testing, and shelf-life evaluations for AFH products like condiments, sauces, soups, and mac & cheese.

The candidate will work cross-functionally to drive feasibility studies, recipe documentation, and early production scale-ups, with 10–15% plant travel.

Qualifications

• Lead benchtop formulation and prototype development for AFH product innovation.
• Conduct analytical measurements and evaluate prototype flavor, texture, color, nutrition, shelf-life.
• Oversee ingredient evaluation, recipe formulation, label development, and technical doc for commercialization and cost-saving initiatives.
• Prepare for and supervise factory scale-up trials; travel 10–15% to plant locations.
• Apply DOE and scientific principles to solve formulation challenges.

Responsibilities

• Lead benchtop formulation and lab experimentation for product development.
• Evaluate prototype characteristics and regulatory compliance.
• Document recipes and support commercialization processes.
• Supervise factory trials and scale-up activities.
• Collaborate with Packaging, Quality, Operations, Marketing, and Sales.

Skills

Benchtop formulation

Analytical measurements

DOE (Design of Experiments)

Cross-functional collaboration

Lab testing techniques

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science or related field

Job description

Job Title: R&D Product Development Specialist (2 Openings)

Location: 801 Waukegan Rd, Glenview, IL 60025 (100% Onsite)

Pay rate: $69.00 - $70.00/hr

Work schedule: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM CST (40.0 hours/week)

1-year contract with potential for FTE conversion; 10–15% reimbursed domestic factory travel required

Overview

The R&D Product Development Specialist supports technical projects for Kraft Heinz's Away From Home (AFH) North America Zone, driving Innovation, Renovation, Productivity, and Commercialization across product categories such as Condiments, Sauces, Soups, and Mac & Cheese. Working 100% onsite at the Glenview R&D facility, this position conducts benchtop formulations, prototype development, analytical measurements, and sensory/shelf-life evaluations. Operating with semi-autonomous oversight, the role collaborates cross-functionally with Packaging, Quality, Operations, Marketing, and Sales to lead feasibility assessments, recipe documentation, factory trial supervision, and initial production scale-ups.

Job Specifications

• Lead benchtop formulation, prototype development, and hands-on laboratory experimentation to support AFH food product innovation and renovation
• Execute analytical measurements and evaluate prototype flavor, texture, color, nutritional content, shelf-life, and regulatory compliance
• Oversee ingredient evaluation, recipe formulation, label development, and technical documentation for commercialization and cost-savings initiatives
• Prepare for, supervise, and evaluate factory scale-up trials at manufacturing plant sites (requires 10–15% reimbursed domestic travel)
• Apply Design of Experiments (DOE) and scientific principles to solve technical formulation challenges and streamline product development pipelines
• Partner cross-functionally with Packaging, Quality, Operations, Project Management, Marketing, and Sales to drive project milestones
• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Meat Science, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related scientific discipline required
• Minimum 3 to 4 years of hands-on product development experience in a professional R&D or CPG laboratory environment required (not entry-level)
• Proven expertise in benchtop formulation and laboratory testing techniques required
• Prior product development experience with condiments, sauces, soups, mac & cheese, or foodservice/AFH product categories strongly preferred
• Willingness and full availability for 100% onsite work in Glenview, IL and 10–15% travel to plant locations required

Benefits (employee contribution):

• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• Life insurance
• Retirement plan

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. Rate of pay within the stated range will depend on the qualification of the applicant. #IND1026