Research And Development Manager

Kevin's Natural Foods; California (MO); On-site; USD 130,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

Kevin’s Natural Foods seeks an R&D Manager to drive innovation, lead the Product Development team from concept to production, and ensure clean-label, nutritious, and flavorful offerings. You will oversee cross-functional collaboration and scale-up initiatives in a fast-paced environment.

The role requires a Bachelor’s in Food Science or related field with 5+ years in food product development, including leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science or related field; advanced degree a plus.
• Minimum 5 years in food product development in manufacturing, with at least 2 years in a leadership role.
• Deep knowledge of ingredient functionality, flavor development, sensory evaluation, and clean-label development.
• Strong GMP, HACCP, food safety and regulatory compliance knowledge.
• Proven experience managing cross-functional projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience with paleo/keto or specialized dietary products is a strong plus.
• Proficiency with nutritional software, quality systems, spreadsheets, and lab documentation.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop the R&D product development team.
• Oversee all aspects of new product development from ideation to commercialization.
• Drive project prioritization, resources, and timelines.
• Lead formulation, costing, sourcing, and process optimization while ensuring compliance.
• Collaborate with nutritionists, QA/QC, and culinary teams to meet standards.
• Evaluate emerging trends and new ingredients.
• Set strategic vision for product innovation and cross-functional alignment.
• Partner with Marketing, Sales, and Brand teams for launches and campaigns.
• Assist with taste panels and sensory evaluations to exceed expectations.
• Serve as R&D liaison for label approvals and regulatory compliance.
• Maintain R&D processes and documentation standards.
• Troubleshoot production issues and optimize processes.
• Maintain records in recipe/formula systems for reproducibility.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Analytical skills

Cross-functional collaboration

GMP/HACCP knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science or related

Advanced degree a plus

Tools

Nutritional software

Quality management systems

Spreadsheets

Lab documentation tools

Job description

The R&D Manager at Kevin’s Natural Foods plays a critical role in driving the innovation and development of our clean-label product portfolio. This role is responsible for leading the Product Development team, overseeing the commercialization process from concept to production, and ensuring new and optimized products meet our high-quality, nutritious, and flavorful standards. This position combines technical expertise in food science with strategic leadership, project management, and cross-functional collaboration to support Kevin’s mission: empowering even the busiest people to eat clean without sacrificing flavor.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead, mentor, and develop an R&D product development team, fostering a culture of innovation, curiosity, and accountability.
• Oversee all aspects of new product development from ideation, recipe creation, pilot production, scale-up, and commercialization.
• Drive project prioritization, resource allocation, and timelines to ensure efficient and
• Lead recipe formulation, costing, ingredient sourcing, and process optimization while maintaining compliance with SQF, USDA, and other certifications.
• Collaborate with nutritionists, QA/QC, and culinary teams to ensure products meet nutritional, sensory, and safety standards.
• Evaluate and implement emerging food trends, new ingredients, and innovative processing techniques.
• Work cross-functionally to set the strategic vision for product innovation, aligning new concepts with company goals, consumer trends, and competitive insights.
• Partner with Marketing, Sales, and Brand teams to support product launches, packaging, development, and marketing campaigns.
• Assist with taste panels, consumer testing, and sensory evaluations to ensure products exceed expectations.
• Serve as the primary R&D liaison for label approvals (GFCO/Paleo/NGPV/USDA) and regulatory compliance.
• Establish and maintain robust R&D processes, documentation standards, and best practices.
• Troubleshoot production issues, monitor consistency and quality, and optimize manufacturing processes.
• Maintain detailed records in recipe/formula systems, ensuring accuracy and reproducibility.
• Other duties as assigned to support the growth and evolution of Kevin’s Natural Foods.
• All other duties as assigned or necessary.

What You’ll Need:

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Nutrition, or Culinary School certification; advanced degree a plus.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in food product development in a manufacturing environment, with at least 2 years in a leadership role.
• Deep knowledge of ingredient functionality, flavor development, sensory evaluation, and clean-label product development.
• Strong understanding of food science principles, GMP, HACCP, food safety, and regulatory compliance.
• Proven experience managing teams, projects, and cross-functional initiatives in a fast paced environment.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and project management skills.
• Experience with paleo/keto or specialized dietary products is a strong plus.
• Proficiency with nutritional software, quality systems, spreadsheets, and lab documentation.

Kevin’s Natural Foods is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We deeply believe that diverse backgrounds and experiences make better teams, and we seek to attract talent from all walks of life. The team at Kevin’s is smart, humble, and passionate and we value a work environment that fosters personal development and opportunities to move within our small, but quickly growing organization.

More About Kevin’s Natural Foods:

Kevin’s Natural Foods is a line of healthy entrées, sides, and sauces, on a mission to make clean eating delicious and accessible. Kevin’s guilt-free, sous-vide entrées and sides, and signature certified paleo, keto, and gluten-free sauces allow health-conscious home cooks to whip up delicious meals in five minutes or less. With restaurant-quality ingredients and recipes, Kevin’s products are readily available on the shelves at leading grocery retailers nationwide including Costco, Whole Foods, Albertsons, HEB and Publix. All Kevin’s products contain no refined sugar, artificial ingredients, grains, or soy, and are made with antibiotic- and hormone-free meat. A true market disruptor, Kevin’s Natural Foods is the first clean refrigerated entrée brand

Salary Range: $130,000.00- $155,000.00 annually + benefits + bonus

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