Research And Development Associate

FoodScience, LLC; Williston (VT); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

9 paid holidays

Week shutdown PTO

Health insurance with HSA/FSA

Dental

Vision

Life insurance

Employee discounts

Professional development

Job summary

FoodScience is a Vermont-based company dedicated to turning science into high-quality pet nutrition products. We are seeking an onsite R&D Associate to drive the full development journey from ingredient research to scalable manufacturing.

This hands-on role sits at the intersection of R&D and production, involving formulation, bench trials, and process development with Operations and Quality teams to deliver commercially viable products.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a scientific/engineering discipline.
• Hands-on laboratory, product-development, or manufacturing experience.
• Strong scientific and technical problem-solving skills.
• Understanding of translating lab work into manufacturing.
• Ability to analyze data, troubleshoot, and make recommendations.
• Strong documentation and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop new nutritional supplement products from concept to commercialization.
• Modify and evaluate formulations for manufacturability, quality, and performance.
• Conduct bench-scale trials and experiments to optimize processing.
• Research ingredients and technologies to support product innovation.
• Document experiments, observations, results and recommendations.
• Support stability studies and product performance throughout development.
• Translate lab formulations into scalable manufacturing processes.
• Partner with Operations, Manufacturing, Quality, and Regulatory teams.

Skills

Laboratory experience

Process engineering

Data analysis

Documentation

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Manufacturing awareness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Animal Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Food Science, Biology, Biochemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences

Job description

Turn Science Into Products That Make a Difference. At FoodScience, R&D doesn't stop when a formula works at the bench.

We are looking for an onsite R&D Associate who wants to be part of the entire product development journey, from researching ingredients and developing formulations to figuring out how those products will actually be manufactured consistently, efficiently, and at scale.

This is a highly hands-on role for someone who enjoys both the science of product development and the problem-solving of process engineering. You will work at the intersection of R&D and manufacturing, helping transform innovative concepts into commercially viable products that support the health and wellness of pets.

You don't necessarily need to come to us with years of pet supplement formulation experience. We're interested in people with strong scientific or engineering fundamentals, curiosity, practical problem-solving skills, and experience working with products or processes in a manufacturing environment.

If you enjoy asking "How can we make this work?" and then getting into the lab or onto the production floor to figure it out, this may be the opportunity for you.

What You'll Own

Product Development & Formulation

• Support the development of new nutritional supplement products from initial concept through commercialization.
• Develop, modify, and evaluate formulations based on product objectives, ingredient functionality, manufacturability, quality, and performance.
• Conduct bench-scale trials and experiments to evaluate formulations and processing conditions.
• Research ingredients, technologies, and scientific developments that can support new product innovation.
• Document experimental work, observations, results, and recommendations.
• Support stability studies and evaluate product performance throughout development.

Process Development & Scale-Up

This is where the role goes beyond traditional bench R&D.

• Help translate successful laboratory formulations into repeatable, scalable manufacturing processes.
• Partner directly with Operations and Manufacturing to plan and execute pilot and production trials.
• Evaluate how ingredients, equipment, processing parameters, and manufacturing conditions affect finished-product performance.
• Identify potential scale-up challenges before products move into full commercial production.
• Troubleshoot issues that arise during trials, scale-up, and manufacturing.
• Recommend adjustments to formulations or processes based on production results.
• Help establish appropriate process parameters and operating requirements for new products.
• Remain involved as products transition from R&D into commercial manufacturing.
• Provide technical support during initial production runs and product launches.
• Investigate formulation or process-related issues that affect quality, consistency, yield, efficiency, or manufacturability.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Quality, and Operations to identify root causes and develop practical solutions.
• Support continuous improvement opportunities for existing products and processes.
• Help ensure knowledge gained during development is effectively transferred to the teams responsible for ongoing production.

Research & Scientific Innovation

• Translate scientific research into practical product and process opportunities.
• Evaluate new ingredients, technologies, processing approaches, and delivery formats.
• Design experiments that answer meaningful product-development questions.
• Analyze data and use results to guide formulation and process decisions.
• Bring curiosity and a continuous-learning mindset to product and process challenges.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Product development at FoodScience is highly collaborative.

You’ll work closely with:

• R&D and Product Development
• Manufacturing and Operations
• Quality
• Regulatory
• Procurement and ingredient suppliers
• Marketing and Commercial teams

You’ll help connect the scientific intent of a product with the practical realities of producing it successfully.

Documentation & Quality Compliance

• Maintain accurate and thorough laboratory and development documentation.
• Support specifications, formulas, manufacturing instructions, protocols, reports, and technical documentation.
• Work within applicable quality systems, SOPs, and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure appropriate documentation accompanies products as they transition from development into production.
• Contribute to investigations, root-cause analysis, validation activities, and corrective actions when appropriate.

What You Bring to the Table

We’re open to different paths into this role.

You may come from R&D, product development, chemical engineering, process engineering, food or nutritional science, pharmaceutical manufacturing, quality, or another technically rigorous manufacturing environment.

We’re particularly interested in candidates who bring:

• A bachelor's degree in Animal Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Food Science, Biology, Biochemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a related scientific or engineering discipline.
• Hands-on laboratory, product-development, process-development, or manufacturing experience.
• Strong scientific and technical problem-solving skills.
• An understanding of how laboratory or technical work translates into manufacturing.
• The ability to analyze data, troubleshoot problems, and make thoughtful recommendations.
• Strong documentation and organizational skills.
• Comfort working cross-functionally with both scientific and operational teams.
• Curiosity, initiative, and a willingness to learn.

Experience with formulation, GMP-regulated manufacturing, process validation, scale-up, nutritional supplements, food, pharmaceuticals, consumer products, or pet products is highly valuable—but we are also interested in strong transferable experience.

What Success Looks Like

A successful R&D Associate doesn’t simply develop a product that works in the lab.

Success means helping FoodScience develop products that work in the lab, perform as intended, can be manufactured successfully, and can be produced consistently at commercial scale.

You’ll be successful when you:

• Help move new products efficiently from concept through commercial production.
• Develop a strong understanding of both formulation and manufacturing processes.
• Identify potential problems early and help solve them practically.
• Build strong partnerships with R&D, Quality, Operations, and Manufacturing.
• Use data and scientific reasoning to make sound development decisions.
• Help improve product quality, process capability, efficiency, and consistency.
• Become someone the organization can rely on to help bridge the gap between what we want to create and how we successfully make it.

Why FoodScience?

At FoodScience, you’ll have the opportunity to see the impact of your work beyond the laboratory.

You will be part of a team where R&D works closely with the people actually making our products, giving you exposure to the full development lifecycle—from an idea on paper to a product running through production and ultimately reaching the pets and people we serve.

For someone who enjoys science but also wants to understand how products are made, how processes can be improved, and how ideas become commercially successful products, this role offers an opportunity to build a uniquely well-rounded R&D career.

A Little About FoodScience

FoodScience is a Vermont-based company dedicated to helping people and pets live healthier lives through high-quality nutritional products backed by science, innovation, and a commitment to quality.

For over 50 years, that has meant making the highest quality nutritional supplements and products, but it also extends to the care we provide our customers, the workplace culture we nurture, and the communities we serve.

Our R&D team plays an important role in turning scientific insight into products that can make a meaningful difference—and we're looking for someone who wants to be part of that process from beginning to end.

FoodScience offers 9 paid holidays per year—including your birthday!—one paid week off during our annual plant shutdown, and a competitive Paid Time Off (PTO) program that begins accruing immediately. Our benefits package includes health insurance with HSA and FSA options, dental, vision, life insurance, and additional voluntary coverages to meet your needs. We also offer employee discounts, professional development opportunities, and the chance to work alongside a supportive, experienced team that is invested in your success.

FoodScience provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind in accordance with federal, state, and local laws.