R&D Product Developer

Willamette Valley Pie Company; Silverton (OR); On-site; USD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

401(k) matching

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

Willamette Valley Pie Company in Silverton, OR seeks a senior Product Developer / Food Scientist to own end-to-end new product development—from concept through first commercial run and scale-up. This role blends food science with pastry craft, requiring hands-on bench work and plant-floor problem solving.

You will formulate for branded lines and private label, lead scale-up at WVPC and Dessert Holdings facilities, and travel up to 25% to partner sites in Smyrna, GA and other locations.

Qualifications

• Degree in Food Science or Food Technology required; pastry credential with commercial experience considered in lieu of degree.
• 5+ years in product development, R&D, or culinary development within commercial food manufacturing.
• Documented scale-up track record with bench to commercial transition.
• Working knowledge of bakery and dessert systems: doughs, laminated and crumb crusts, fillings, emulsions, freeze-thaw.
• Fluency with FDA labeling, allergen control, nutritional analysis, and clean-label constraints.
• Costing literacy; able to build BOM and discuss ingredient cost changes with Finance.
• Experience in GMPs, PPE, sanitation windows, HACCP; PCQI/SQF preferred.
• Valid US state driver’s license; travel up to 25%, including multi-day trips.

Responsibilities

• Own development end-to-end from concept to commercial launch.
• Lead scale-up trials at WVPC and Dessert Holdings facilities; supervise first runs.
• Formulate for private label in-store bakery to meet customer specs and pricing.
• Own BOM and costs; work with Finance to hit target margins.
• Qualify ingredients and suppliers; develop secondary sources.
• Own shelf life and food safety validation with QA and external labs.
• Ensure labeling accuracy—nutrition, ingredients, allergens.
• Define gold standard with QA: specs, photos, tolerances, and prep/bake instructions.
• Provide technical support to Production and Quality; diagnose & fix on the line.
• Escalate any food safety, allergen, or labeling risk immediately.

Skills

Scale-up track record

Bakery & dessert systems

Food safety & labeling

GMPs & HACCP

Costing / BOM

Travel readiness

Problem solving in production

Education

Food Science degree

Pastry credential (optional)

Job description

Willamette Valley Pie Company is looking for a Product Developer / Food Scientist based in Silverton, Oregon. This is a senior individual contributor role, reporting to the President of the Pie Business Unit,owns new product development end-to-end — concept, benchtop, pilot, scale-up, first commercial run, and the spec production runs against afterward. You will formulate for our branded line and for In-Store Bakery private label customers, and you will commercialize both at WVPC and at Dessert Holdings sister facilities, including Kenny’s Great Pies in Smyrna, Georgia.

We are not looking for a lab-bound formulator who hands a spec over the wall and waits for the plant to figure it out. We want someone who can laminate a test crust by hand on Monday, and on Thursday be standing at a depositor in Smyrna at 5 a.m. with a thermometer and a plant supervisor, working out why a filling that set beautifully in a six-quart batch is weeping at two thousand pies an hour — and have it fixed before the shift ends. This is a blend of food science and pastry craft. If you have chef hands and a scientist’s head, this is your role.

Base Salary Range: $80,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year, plus performance bonuses. Benefits include 401(k), 401(k) matching, health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, and paid time off.

Schedule: On-site daily in Silverton, OR. Travel up to 25%, primarily multi-day trips to Kenny’s Great Pies in Smyrna, GA and other Dessert Holdings facilities. Expect early starts and occasional nights and weekends around plant trials and first production runs.

Key Responsibilities

• Own development end-to-end. Translate marketing and customer briefs into concepts, benchtop prototypes, pilot batches, plant trials, and commercial launches.
• Commercialize at the plant, not the bench. Lead scale-up trials at WVPC and Dessert Holdings facilities. Be physically present for first commercial runs and adjust formula, process, or both until the line makes what the bench promised.
• Formulate private label for In-Store Bakery. Partner with Sales to match, beat, and customize products on the customer’s spec, price point, and equipment.
• Own the bill of materials and the cost. Build and cost every formula with Finance before it is presented to a customer. Hit target margin or bring the exception forward with a reformulation option attached.
• Qualify ingredients and suppliers. Work with Purchasing and Quality to evaluate new ingredients and vendors, and build second sources on anything single-sourced and critical.
• Own shelf life and food safety validation. Water activity, pH, freeze-thaw, thaw-and-serve performance, and microbial shelf life, with QA and outside labs. No SKU ships without validated data behind its code date.
• Own labeling accuracy. Nutritional analysis, ingredient statements, allergen declarations, and packaging proof verification.
• Define the Gold Standard with QA. Written specs, reference photos, tolerances, and validated prep and bake instructions across the equipment our customers actually use — so a Silverton pie and a Smyrna pie are the same pie.
• Be technical support for Production and Quality. When a run goes sideways at 6 a.m., you are the call. Diagnose the variable, fix it, and document it so it does not happen twice.
• Escalate any food safety, allergen, or labeling risk immediately. You have the authority to stop a trial, a launch, or a line. We will back you every time you make the right call.

Qualifications

• Degree in Food Science, or Food Technology. A professional pastry credential paired with demonstrable commercial formulation experience will be considered in lieu of the degree.
• 5+ years in product development, R&D, or culinary development within commercial food manufacturing. Bakery, pastry, or frozen dessert experience strongly preferred.
• A documented scale-up track record. You can walk us through one product you took from bench to commercial line, including what went wrong and how you fixed it.
• Working knowledge of bakery and dessert systems: doughs, laminated and crumb crusts, fruit fillings, custards and cream systems, emulsions, stabilizer and hydrocolloid selection, and freeze-thaw behavior.
• Fluency with FDA labeling, allergen control, nutritional analysis, and clean-label ingredient constraints.
• Costing literacy. You can build a BOM, model an ingredient cost change, and hold a credible margin conversation with Finance.
• Comfortable operating inside an active food plant — GMPs, PPE, sanitation windows, HACCP awareness. PCQI, HACCP, or SQF certification preferred.
• Valid US state-based driver’s license, ability to travel up to 25% including multi-day air travel, and willingness to work extended or off hours during scale-ups.

Physical & Work Environment Requirements

Split between office, development kitchen, and active production floors. Ability to stand and walk for extended periods; work in cold rooms, freezers, and near ovens and hot fill equipment; and lift and carry up to 30 pounds. PPE required in all production areas. Travel up to 25%, including multi-day air travel.

The WVPC Culture:

• FAMILY FIRST: We make a way for you to be there when it counts. Many of us have young families and are trying to balance home and work. We get it. If you’re trying to be a rock star in both places, you’re going to fit.
• GRIT: We rest at the end, not in the middle. We believe in working hard and finishing the job. If you are proud of your work ethic and going home with a job “half done” bothers you, you’re going to fit.
• GROWTH: Failure happens, own it and grow. We are obsessed with learning and want to be better every single day. If perhaps this job is a little outside your comfort zone but you’re willing to grind it out and learn, you’re going to fit.
• BUY-IN: Everyone that’s here, wants to be here. We believe if you love where you work, you will be the best version of yourself everywhere else. If this job is your top choice, you’re going to fit.

About Dessert Holdings

Dessert Holdings is North America’s fastest-growing premium dessert company, bringing unparalleled dessert experiences to both retail and foodservice customers. The company, headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, is a collection of premium dessert companies and brands: Steven Charles, The Original Cakerie, Lawler’s Desserts, Atlanta Cheesecake Company, Dianne’s Fine Desserts, Kenny’s Great Pies, and Willamette Valley Pie Company. Dessert Holdings is owned by Bain Capital, employing more than 3,200 people across North American manufacturing facilities.

EEO Statement

Dessert Holdings and its related entities provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or any other characteristics protected by law.

Disclaimer

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.