R&D Technical Commercialization Director

Kinsa Group; Houston, Chicago (TX, IL, FL); On-site; USD 185,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

401(k)

PTO & holiday pay

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Kinsa Group is seeking an R&D Technical Commercialization Director for onsite roles in Houston, Chicago, or central Florida. Onsite with relocation and up to 40% travel. You will translate product innovation into scalable commercial launches across plant and customer interfaces.

The role combines deep food science with strong commercial communication to validate formulations under plant conditions and guide launch readiness for internal and customer stakeholders.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in food and beverage R&D, including commercialization.
• Experience leading multiple projects and cross-functional teams.
• Hands-on expertise in SSP processes, beverage formulation, scale-up, stability, TA/pH/Brix, and labeling.

Responsibilities

• Design and validate formulations for actual plant processes (hot-fill, pasteurization, low-acid aseptic, dry blend).
• Lead the stage-gate process and coordinate Sales, Marketing, Operations, and Supply Chain around priorities and milestones.
• Drive cost, quality, margin, and process improvements while leading the R&D lab and supporting the 12–24 month pipeline.
• Travel up to 40%.

Skills

Product development

Formulation

Cross-functional leadership

Project management

Food safety

Quality improvement

Scale-up

Commercial communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science / Food Chemistry / Chemical Engineering

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Stage-gate process

Job description

Kinsa is recruiting for a: R&D Technical Commercialization Director Location: Houston, Chicago or central FL. (Onsite with relocation, 40% travel)

For over 10 years, companies all across the country have relied on our client to meet their dispensed beverage needs. The Director of R&D Technical Commercialization connects product innovation with commercial execution, ensuring new products move from bench to plant to customer on time, on spec, and at scale. You must combine deep food science expertise with strong commercial communication, validating formulations against real plant conditions while clearly guiding launch readiness for internal and customer-facing stakeholders.

Compensation & Benefits:

• $185-195k base salary plus generous annual bonus
• Medical, Dental, Vision
• 401(k)
• PTO & holiday pay
• Relocation assistance

Key Responsibilities and Goals:

• Product development and validation: Design and validate formulations for actual plant processes, including hot-fill, pasteurization, low-acid aseptic, and dry blend. Confirm processing conditions, ingredient stability, analytical targets, specifications, food safety, shelf life, and launch readiness.
• Commercialization leadership: Lead the stage-gate process and 55+ active projects, aligning Sales, Marketing, Operations, and Supply Chain around priorities, milestones, risks, and REFILL revenue goals.
• Optimization and team leadership: Drive cost, quality, label, margin, and process improvements while leading the R&D lab team and supporting the 12-24 month innovation pipeline.
• 40% travel.

Competencies Needed for Success:

• A degree in Food Science, Food Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field; Master’s preferred.
• Experience: 10+ years in food and beverage R&D, including 4+ years in commercialization, application science, or technical project management with proven multi-project leadership.
• Technical depth: Hands-on expertise in at least two SSP processes, beverage formulation, scale-up, stability troubleshooting, TA/pH/Brix, specifications, acidified and low-acid requirements, shelf life, FDA rules, nutrition labeling, and allergens.