R&D Project Leader – Pet Food Innovation

Simmons Foods; Siloam Springs (AR); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Simmons Foods is seeking an experienced product/process development leader in Arkansas to guide end-to-end development from concept through commercialization. You will work with customers and internal teams to optimize formulations, assess costs, and ensure project success across multiple facilities.

The role requires 5 years in product development with strong communication and leadership skills, plus knowledge of food science, nutrition, and thermal processing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field.
• 5 years in product development and technical services in food/pet food preferred.
• Strong communication and leadership abilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead identification, recommendation and qualification of process/formulation capabilities to meet project success criteria.
• Integrate internal and external capabilities to develop solutions and optimize formulations across products and plants.
• Develop, bench test, scale up and commercialize new processes/products per project briefs; manage costs and timing.
• Mentor junior and senior scientists and coordinate plant tests during commissioning.
• Review patents to ensure no infringement and monitor process/product attributes across sites.
• Lead supply chain initiatives and manage project portfolio in line with supervisor directives.
• Foster team cohesion and align with Simmons' operating principles and policies.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Project management

Data analysis

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Food Science/Animal Nutrition/Animal Science/Meat Science/Engineering

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Concept 5

AutoCAD

JDE

IQS

Job description

Simmons Foods is seeking an experienced product/process development leader in Arkansas to guide end-to-end development from concept through commercialization. You will work with customers and internal teams to optimize formulations, assess costs, and ensure project success across multiple facilities.

The role requires 5 years in product development with strong communication and leadership skills, plus knowledge of food science, nutrition, and thermal processing.