R&D Sprint Lead, Food Innovation & Launch

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

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.