R&D Manager, Sprint Team

Kevin's Natural Foods; Stockton (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 145,000; Full time

Job summary

Kevin’s Natural Foods seeks an R&D Manager, Sprint Team, to lead Costco product development initiatives from concept through launch. This on-site role is based in Stockton, CA, reporting as the primary liaison to Costco buyers and internal stakeholders.

You’ll coordinate cross-functional teams across Procurement, Innovation, Sales, Commercialization, and Operations, manage timelines, and ensure fast, compliant product commercialization while upholding food safety and clean-label standards.

Qualifications

• 5+ years coordinating complex cross-functional projects in food manufacturing or CPG.
• Experience with accelerated product development timelines in a fast-paced, customer-driven environment.
• Strong understanding of the product development lifecycle from concept to launch.
• Ability to influence stakeholders without direct reporting authority.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary contact for Costco product development and maintain alignment with stakeholders.
• Manage end-to-end Costco projects from concept through formulation, commercialization, and launch.
• Establish and manage timelines, milestones, and priorities for initiatives.
• Drive cross-functional collaboration to remove roadblocks and maintain momentum.
• Translate customer requests into actionable development plans with clear specs and timelines.
• Coordinate with Procurement on ingredients, feasibility, and costs.
• Support scale-up, production readiness, and timely launches with Commercialization and Operations.
• Collaborate with Sales and Costco buyers to align with commercial opportunities.
• Balance speed to market with food safety, quality, and clean-label commitments.
• Travel up to 30% to support Costco initiatives.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Project management

Communication

Food industry experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science/Technology/Business or related field

Job description

The R&D Manager, Sprint Team at Kevin’s Natural Foods will serve as the primary point of contact and project lead for Costco product development initiatives. This role is responsible for driving the rapid development and launch of new products for Costco, coordinating cross-functional teams, and ensuring development timelines align with customer expectations and business objectives.

As Kevin’s Natural Foods’ priority customer, Costco requires a focused, agile approach to product innovation and commercialization. The R&D Manager, Sprint Team will bring structure, urgency, and accountability to these initiatives by partnering closely with Procurement, Innovation, Sales, Commercialization, and Costco buyers to move projects from concept through launch. This position is located in the Kevin’s Natural Foods Test Kitchen in Stockton, CA. This is a full-time, on-site position.

What You’ll Do:

• Serve as the primary point of contact for Costco product development initiatives, maintaining strong communication and alignment between internal stakeholders and Costco buyers.
• Manage the end-to-end coordination of Costco product development projects, from initial concept and feasibility through formulation, commercialization, and launch.
• Establish and manage project timelines, milestones, deliverables, and priorities to ensure Costco initiatives progress efficiently and meet customer expectations.
• Drive cross-functional collaboration across R&D, Procurement, Innovation, Sales, and Commercialization to remove roadblocks and maintain development momentum.
• Translate Costco customer requests and business needs into actionable product development plans, ensuring alignment on product specifications, timelines, and launch requirements.
• Partner with Procurement to evaluate ingredient availability, product feasibility, formulation requirements, and cost considerations.
• Coordinate with Commercialization and Operations to support successful product scale-up, production readiness, and timely launches.
• Collaborate with Sales and Costco buyers to clarify customer expectations, gather feedback, and ensure development efforts align with commercial opportunities.
• Balance speed to market with Kevin’s Natural Foods’ standards for product quality, food safety, nutritional requirements, and clean-label commitments.
• Other duties as assigned or necessary.

What You’ll Need:

• Passion for delivering safe, high-quality, and delicious food products to Kevin’s Natural Foods consumers.
• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Business, Supply Chain, Project Management, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• 5+ years of experience leading complex, cross-functional projects in food manufacturing, consumer packaged goods (CPG), product development, or commercialization.
• Demonstrated success managing accelerated product development timelines and delivering projects in a fast-paced, customer-driven environment.
• Strong understanding of the product development lifecycle, including concept development, formulation, ingredient sourcing, commercialization, and product launch.
• Experience working with major retail customers and managing customer-driven product development initiatives; Costco experience is a plus.
• Strong project management skills, including timeline development, milestone tracking, risk identification, resource coordination, and stakeholder accountability.
• Ability to influence and align cross-functional stakeholders without direct reporting authority.
• Strong business acumen and the ability to balance customer expectations, product feasibility, cost targets, and internal resource constraints.
• Excellent communication, organization, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with internal leadership, cross-functional teams, and external customers.
• Working knowledge of food safety, quality standards, regulatory requirements, and food manufacturing processes.
• Ability to identify process gaps, resolve challenges, and drive continuous improvement in a rapidly changing environment.
• Travel up to 30% to support Costco business initiatives

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 refrigerated and frozen meals, sides, soups, and sauces on a mission to empower even the busiest people to eat clean without sacrificing flavor. Co-founded by Kevin McCray who battled an auto-immune disorder for years, Kevin's Natural Foods was born from his desire to make clean eating seamlessly fit into any lifestyle. Shockingly delicious and made with clean ingredients, Kevin’s products are ready in minutes and always free from gluten, soy, and refined sugar.

In 2023, Kevin’s Natural Foods joined the Mars Food & Nutrition family, allowing us to expand our reach, accelerate innovation, and bring our mission to even more households while staying true to the quality and integrity that define our brand. A true market disruptor, Kevin's is the first clean refrigerated entrée brand working to prove every day that proper nutrition can be as delicious as it is healthy.

Salary Range: $125,000.00- $145,000.00 annually + benefits + bonus

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