R&D Manager

Kevin's Natural Foods; Imperial (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

Kevin's Natural Foods is seeking an R&D Manager to drive innovation in our clean-label product portfolio. You will lead the Product Development team, overseeing the commercialization process from concept to production and ensuring products meet high quality, nutritious, and flavorful standards.

This role blends food science expertise with strategic leadership and cross-functional collaboration to support our mission of empowering busy people to eat clean without sacrificing flavor.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years in food product development in a manufacturing environment.
• At least 2 years in a leadership role.
• Deep knowledge of ingredient functionality and clean-label development.
• Strong GMP/HACCP knowledge and regulatory compliance experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop the R&D product development team.
• Oversee all aspects of new product development from ideation to commercialization.
• Drive project prioritization, resources, and timelines for launches.
• Lead recipe formulation, costing, ingredient sourcing, and process optimization.
• Collaborate with nutritionists, QA/QC, and culinary teams for quality standards.
• Partner with Marketing, Sales, and Brand teams to support launches.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Food science expertise

Regulatory compliance

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science/Technology/Nutrition

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Nutritional software

Quality systems

Spreadsheets (Excel)

Lab documentation

Job description

The R&D Manager at Kevin's Natural Foods plays a critical role in driving the innovation and development of our clean-label product portfolio. This role is responsible for leading the Product Development team, overseeing the commercialization process from concept to production, and ensuring new and optimized products meet our high-quality, nutritious, and flavorful standards. This position combines technical expertise in food science with strategic leadership, project management, and cross-functional collaboration to support Kevin's mission: empowering even the busiest people to eat clean without sacrificing flavor.

What You'll Do:

• Lead, mentor, and develop an R&D product development team, fostering a culture of innovation, curiosity, and accountability.
• Oversee all aspects of new product development from ideation, recipe creation, pilot production, scale-up, and commercialization.
• Drive project prioritization, resource allocation, and timelines to ensure efficient and successful product launches.
• Lead recipe formulation, costing, ingredient sourcing, and process optimization while maintaining compliance with SQF, USDA, and other certifications.
• Collaborate with nutritionists, QA/QC, and culinary teams to ensure products meet nutritional, sensory, and safety standards.
• Evaluate and implement emerging food trends, new ingredients, and innovative processing techniques.
• Work cross-functionally to set the strategic vision for product innovation, aligning new concepts with company goals, consumer trends, and competitive insights.
• Partner with Marketing, Sales, and Brand teams to support product launches, packaging, development, and marketing campaigns.
• Assist with taste panels, consumer testing, and sensory evaluations to ensure products exceed expectations.
• Serve as the primary R&D liaison for label approvals (GFCO/Paleo/NGPV/USDA) and regulatory compliance.
• Establish and maintain robust R&D processes, documentation standards, and best practices.
• Troubleshoot production issues, monitor consistency and quality, and optimize manufacturing processes.
• Maintain detailed records in recipe/formula systems, ensuring accuracy and reproducibility.
• Other duties as assigned to support the growth and evolution of Kevin's Natural Foods.
• All other duties as assigned to support the growth and evolution of Kevin's Natural Foods.
• All other duties as assigned or necessary.

What You'll Need:

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Nutrition, or Culinary School certification; advanced degree a plus.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in food product development in a manufacturing environment, with at least 2 years in a leadership role.
• Deep knowledge of ingredient functionality, flavor development, sensory evaluation, and clean-label product development.
• Strong understanding of food science principles, GMP, HACCP, food safety, and regulatory compliance.
• Proven experience managing teams, projects, and cross-functional initiatives in a fast paced environment.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and project management skills.
• Experience with paleo/keto or specialized dietary products is a strong plus.
• Proficiency with nutritional software, quality systems, spreadsheets, and lab documentation.

Healthy, Diverse Teams Breed Innovation:

Kevin's Natural Foods is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We deeply believe that diverse backgrounds and experiences make better teams, and we seek to attract talent from all walks of life. The team at Kevin's is smart, humble, and passionate and we value a work environment that fosters personal development and opportunities to move within our small, but quickly growing organization.

More About Kevin's Natural Foods:

Kevin's Natural Foods is a line of healthy entrées, sides, and sauces, on a mission to make clean eating delicious and accessible. Kevin's guilt-free, sous-vide entrées and sides, and signature certified paleo, keto, and gluten-free sauces allow health-conscious home cooks to whip up delicious meals in five minutes or less. With restaurant-quality ingredients and recipes, Kevin's products are readily available on the shelves at leading grocery retailers nationwide including Costco, Whole Foods, Albertsons, HEB and Publix. All Kevin's products contain no refined sugar, artificial ingredients, grains, or soy, and are made with antibiotic- and hormone-free meat. A true market disruptor, Kevin's Natural Foods is the first clean refrigerated entrée brand

Salary Range: $130,000.00- $155,000.00 annually + benefits + bonus

Compensation within this salary range is dependent upon the candidate's experience, education, and relevant qualifications

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