R & D Product Development Specialist

GFF Career Page; California (MO); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

GFF in City of Industry, CA is seeking a salaried Product Development professional reporting to the R&D Supervisor. You will design and create new dressings and sauces, apply chemistry, microbiology, and engineering to understand processing and product stability, and ensure products meet quality, regulatory, and customer requirements.

You will develop specifications, support scale-up from bench to production, create nutrition and ingredient statements, and perform HACCP analyses.

Qualifications

• Must have a Degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Microbiology or equivalent.
• 2-3 years’ experience in a Product Development position.
• Skilled in statistical charts & data analysis.
• Good communication, leadership and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work well with team members and other departments.

Responsibilities

• Research and develop dressings and sauces aligned with consumer trends and customer requests.
• Coordinate with customers for development changes and provide revisions per timeline.
• Develop label formats per specifications, including USDA labeling.
• Ensure formulations meet regulatory and industry standards; study microbiological, physical and chemical properties.
• Conduct HACCP analyses on new materials and finished products.
• Develop detailed mixing instructions to ensure optimal manufacturing.
• Create nutrition labels and ingredient statements per NLEA.
• Prepare checklists for new product development and packaging specs.
• Collaborate with Mix Deck during early productions to validate recipes.
• Update mix deck recipes to align with SCR and ROSS.
• Complete Private Label Specifications per customer formats.
• Evaluate raw material substitutes for deviations due to shortages.
• Develop re-work orders for non-compliant products.
• Evaluate competitive product analyses to benchmark GFF products.
• Perform shelf-life studies.
• Review and develop SOP/SSOP; HACCP risk assessment.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Statistical charts & data analysis

Communication & leadership

Interpersonal skills

Team collaboration

Education

Degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Microbiology or equivalent

Job description

Description

General Summary

This is a salaried position in City of Industry, CA that reports to the R&D Supervisor. Designs & creates new products or alters & improves existing products; use chemistry, microbiology, engineering, & other sciences to study the principle underlying the processing & deterioration of products. Develops specifications & ensures products are produced in compliance with established quality parameters. Supports transition of new products from bench top to production scale. Ensures that new products developed meet all regulatory & customer requirements; follows HACCP steps to ensure product safety & stability.

Scope of Job Function

• Research & develop dressings & sauces that are in trend with consumer preference for new product profiles as per specific customer request.
• Coordinate with customers for needed changes on development samples; provide revisions as per customer timeline.
• Develop label formats per customer specifications, USDA labeling & standard of identity compliance.
• Ensure that product formulations comply with regulatory & industry standards, studies the microbiological, physical, & chemical properties of finished products & ingredients.
• Conduct HACCP analysis on new raw materials used for product development as well as new finished products developed.
• Develop detailed mixing instructions to ensure that products are manufactured optimally & consistently meet the specifications.
• Create nutrition label & ingredient statements in compliance with NLEA (Nutrition Labeling Enforcement Act); ensure compliance with nutrition label claims.
• Ensure that checklist for new product development is completed before product launch, emphasis on batch check & packaging specifications.
• Work with the Mix Deck mixers & helpers during the first 3 productions of new products to ensure that correct materials are used, validate recipe & mixing instructions.
• Update mix deck recipe to include new products approved or changes as per SCR to be consistent with ROSS.
• Complete Private Label Specification as per customer required Formats (Ready Pac, Tropical Smoothie, Longo’s, etc.) including web site specs up-date.
• Evaluate raw material substitutes for specs deviation typically due to shortage or supplier issues; done by actual product application & group sensory.
• Develop re-work order for complicated products put “On Hold- MRB;” non-compliance that needs actual product application confirmatory test.
• Evaluate results of competitive product analysis to benchmark GFF products against competition.
• Shelf‑life studies on challenge studies.
• SOP/SSOP review & development.
• HACCP risk assessment.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Skills/Knowledge/Experience

Required

• Must have a Degree in Technical Course (Food Science, Chemistry, Microbiology, etc.) or equivalent work experience.
• 2-3 years’ experience in Product Development position.
• Skilled in statistical charts & data analysis.
• Good communication, leadership, & interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work well with team members & other departments.

Desired

• Knowledge of manufacturing environment & practices.