Senior Food R&D Lead: From Idea to Launch

The Institute of Food Technologists; Carson (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The Institute of Food Technologists seeks a Senior Manager, Food R&D to lead development from concept through launch, collaborating with Culinary, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Procurement, Marketing, and external partners to deliver consumer-relevant products that meet objectives, quality, cost, and safety requirements.

You will drive formulation, bench testing, scale-ups, and commercialization activities, ensuring regulatory compliance and robust documentation across cross-functional

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Culinary Science, Food Engineering, Chemistry, or related field.
• 12+ years of progressive experience in food product development, R&D, or manufacturing.
• Knowledge of food formulation, ingredient functionality, processing methods, food safety, regulatory requirements, and technical documentation.
• Experience leading plant trials, scale-ups, production start-ups, shelf-life testing, sensory evaluation, and cross-functional commercialization timelines.
• Proven ability to lead teams, influence stakeholders, manage multiple priorities, and communicate technical information to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of new food products, product improvements, line extensions, and cost optimization from ideation through commercialization.
• Translate consumer insights and business needs into technically feasible product solutions.
• Manage formulation, ingredient functionality, bench testing, sensory evaluation, and packaging compatibility.
• Plan and execute plant trials, scale-ups, and commercialization activities with cross-functional teams.
• Ensure products meet food safety, regulatory, quality, labeling, nutritional, and customer requirements.
• Provide technical leadership for troubleshooting product quality, process performance, yield, and throughput issues.
• Develop and maintain specifications, formulas, procedures, trial reports, and commercialization records.
• Build relationships with suppliers, co-manufacturers, culinary partners, and internal stakeholders.
• Lead, coach, and develop R&D team members while setting priorities, managing resources, and supporting growth.
• Monitor industry trends and ingredient technologies to identify innovation opportunities.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Project management

Decision making

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science or related

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

The Institute of Food Technologists seeks a Senior Manager, Food R&D to lead development from concept through launch, collaborating with Culinary, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Procurement, Marketing, and external partners to deliver consumer-relevant products that meet objectives, quality, cost, and safety requirements.

You will drive formulation, bench testing, scale-ups, and commercialization activities, ensuring regulatory compliance and robust documentation across cross-functional