R&D Specialist - Packaging

Nissin Foods; Gardena (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Nissin Foods in Gardena is seeking an R&D Specialist - Packaging to manage product development and production activities for packaging samples. You will support internal and external customers with sample development and coordinate with cross-functional teams.

The role requires a Bachelor's in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering and 2+ years in R&D Packaging within the food industry. Strong material selection, testing, and regulatory awareness are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering is required or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 2+ years of related experience in Research and Development, specifically in Packaging, in the food industry.

Responsibilities

• Understand product development and evaluate packaging options to benchmark against competitors.
• Engage in the product development process from conceptualization through prototype evaluation and launch.
• Select new materials and negotiate prices to reduce material costs and update vendor lists.
• Design and test packaging to verify shelf-life, flavor, color, texture, and nutritional requirements.
• Perform tests and analyses on products and present results to the department for improvements.
• Collaborate with process engineers, plant management, marketing, and external customers to maintain schedules and budgets.
• Conduct production trials to ensure successful launches of new or revised products.
• Monitor plant capability and ensure conformance to design criteria; train operation staff.
• Ensure compliance with labeling and additive regulations and prepare necessary documentation.

Skills

Packaging

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering

Tools

Microsoft Office

ERP System

Job description

R&D Specialist - Packaging

US-CA-Gardena

Job ID: 2026-1125

Type: Full-Time

# of Openings: 1

Category: R&D/QA

Gardena

Overview

The R&D Specialist position encompasses a critical support role by managing and executing the product development and production activities. This area of responsibility is required to successfully produce R&D package product samples for both internal and external customers.

Responsibilities

The described are considered essential to the job and representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions. Qualified individuals must have the ability with or without reasonable accommodation to perform the following functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Understand variety of our products and development samples and be able to evaluate, analyze and formulate packaging, in both creative and traditional fashion. Benchmark with other companies' products.
• Perform activities relevant to the product development process, which may include but not limited to conceptualization, formulation and prototype evaluation, optimization and standardization, cost calculation, commercial translation and product launch.
• Select new materials and negotiate prices for new materials and current materials, updating material list or vendors as needed with the goal of reducing the cost of the current materials.
• Design and test products to ensure shelf-life stability and all aspects of product (flavor, color and texture, nutritional content etc.).
• Conduct variety of applicable tests and analyses on products to determine inherent properties and present analysis of results to the department for further product development and improvement.
• Research consumer awareness or trends, relating to product development (including legal issues). Execution of research on consumer taste preference through validation internally and/or externally.
• Collaborate with process engineers, plant management, marketing specialists and external customers in order insure projects remain on schedule and within budget.
• Conduct production trials to ensure successful launch of new and revised products.
• Monitor production to confirm plant capability and conformance to design criteria and train plant operation.
• Understand general requirements of laws and regulations related to but not limited to food labeling and food additives.
• Report and present oral and written updates including product demonstrations to team and customers.
• Prepare all necessary document such as, but not limited to, test report, Standard Formulation, Standard Process, any other necessary standard/process in commercialization and ensuring food safety.
• Manage materials (including the purchase and shipping of lab apparatus) and supply inventory.
• Other job duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree (B.S.) or equivalent combination of education and experience. B.S. degree in chemistry, or chemical engineering.
• 2+ year related experience in Research and Development, specifically in Packaging, within the food industry.

Preferred Qualifications

• Language Skills: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public. Bilingual is preferred.
• Mathematical Skills: Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference, and fundamentals of plane and solid geometry and trigonometry. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
• Computer Skills: proficient in Microsoft Office with emphasis on Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Teams and Outlook, ERP System.
• Reasoning Ability: Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. Ability to define and to compartmentalize problems, causes, variables, actions taken.

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