R&D Technical Services Lead — Process & Validation

Tyson Foods; Newbern (TN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

401(k) plans

Health, dental, vision benefits

Job summary

Tyson Foods is seeking an experienced leader to direct Research and Development Technical Services at assigned facilities. The role acts as SME for processes, owns manufacturing instructions, and drives commercialization, validation, and continuous improvement while partnering with R&D, Operations, Engineering, Quality, and suppliers.

The manager will oversee process validation, plant trials, and new product introductions, ensuring safe, reliable, and cost-effective manufacturing execution to

Qualifications

• BS, MS or PhD in Food Science or related field; minimum 5 years of relevant experience.
• Minimum of 5 years experience in food manufacturing, R&D, technical services, or process engineering.
• Experience with plant commercialization, process validation, and cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Serve as SME for assigned manufacturing processes and products
• Own and maintain manufacturing instructions (MI), including equipment, process settings, and cook/oven parameters
• Lead and oversee process validation, plant trials, and successful commercialization activities
• Support first production, new product introductions, and ongoing plant execution
• Provide technical support to manufacturing teams for problem resolution and operational challenges
• Lead structured problem-solving for product quality and manufacturing issues using data analysis and plant trials
• Partner with R&D Scientists to ensure manufacturability and process capability during product development
• Execute and support cross-qualifications, specification change qualifications, and line validations
• Support new line start-ups, automation projects, repatriations, co-manufacturing transitions, and new plant start-ups
• Drive process improvements, specification optimization, and cost-reduction initiatives
• Apply food science and process technology principles to improve yield, quality, and consistency
• Support capital planning by advising on equipment selection, design, and resource needs
• Collaborate with engineering teams and external equipment suppliers to evaluate and validate new technologies
• Conduct routine manufacturing instruction audits to ensure accuracy and data integrity
• Utilize systems such as NPD, GSM, and DevEx proficiently
• Support data and digital initiatives, including MI design and cleansing for enterprise platforms
• Travel as needed to support assigned and unassigned facilities based on business priorities
• Lead or support special projects and other duties as assigned

Skills

Leadership

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Travel willingness

Education

BS/MS/PhD in Food Science or related

Tools

Microsoft Office

Manufacturing systems

Data platforms

Digital tools

Job description

Tyson Foods is seeking an experienced leader to direct Research and Development Technical Services at assigned facilities. The role acts as SME for processes, owns manufacturing instructions, and drives commercialization, validation, and continuous improvement while partnering with R&D, Operations, Engineering, Quality, and suppliers.

The manager will oversee process validation, plant trials, and new product introductions, ensuring safe, reliable, and cost-effective manufacturing execution to