Senior Manager, R&D Food Scientist- Product Development

Redbarn Pet Products LLC; Great Bend (KS); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay based on experience

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

401(k) with company match

FSA and HSA programs

Paid Holidays, Sick, and Vacation

Life and AD&D Insurance

Job summary

Redbarn Pet Products LLC in Great Bend, Kansas, seeks a Senior Manager, R&D - Product Development to lead pet food and treat innovations, translating consumer needs into technical requirements and meaningful business impact.

The role provides strategic technical leadership, manages R&D talent, and drives innovation while ensuring regulatory compliance and successful product commercialization across platforms.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Science, Food Science, Engineering, or related field.
• 6-8 years of R&D experience.
• Experience in formulation, product development, and commercialization.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of novel pet food and pet treat products.
• Lead formulation and product development to address unmet consumer and pet needs.
• Serve as technical authority for ingredients, processing, nutrition delivery, and formulation strategy.
• Identify, evaluate, and advance new ingredients, technologies and capabilities.
• Own all technical aspects of assigned projects and ensure delivery per plans and timelines.
• Develop, review and approve formulation and finished product specifications.
• Oversee sensory, palatability, shelf-life and stability testing programs.
• Maintain accurate technical documentation and records.
• Lead cross-functional teams and manage moderate to high complexity projects.
• Collaborate to achieve shared business and innovation objectives.
• Ensure GMPs and food safety compliance.

Skills

Problem-solving

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Science, Food Science, Engineering, or related field

Job description

Senior Manager, R&D Food Scientist- Product Development

Redbarn Pet Products LLC, Great Bend, Kansas, United States

About this position

Description:

About Us:

Redbarn Pet Products was co-founded in 1996 by lifelong friends Jeff Baikie and Howie Bloxam, who met as 12-year-olds on a hockey rink in Canada. Inspired by a shared passion for wholesome, high-quality dog food, they built a company that has grown to a family of 500 members, offering over 200 foods, treats, and chews. As a family-owned business for over 25 years, Redbarn’s culture is rooted in the belief that they are more than just a team—they are a family.

Compensation & Benefits:

• Competitive pay, based on experience
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA)
• Paid Holidays, Paid Sick and Paid Vacation
• Life and AD&DD Insurance

Position Summary

The Senior Manager, R&D - Product Development leads pet food and pet treat innovation by translating pet and pet parent needs into technical requirements and consumer-driven product solutions that deliver meaningful business impact. This role provides strategic technical leadership, manages R&D talent, and drives both innovation and renovation across key product platforms. The Senior Manager owns defined areas of technical expertise, advances technology and capability development, and partners cross-functionally to ensure successful commercialization.

Key Responsibilities

• Apply scientific principles and strategic thinking to lead the development of novel pet food and pet treat products.
• Lead formulation and product development efforts to address unmet consumer and pet needs.
• Serve as a technical authority for ingredients, processing, nutrition delivery, and formulation strategy.
• Identify, evaluate, and advance new ingredients, technologies, and innovation capabilities.
• Own all technical aspects of assigned projects and ensure delivery according to project plans and timelines.
• Develop, review, and approve formulation and finished product specifications.
• Oversee sensory, palatability, shelf-life, and stability testing programs.
• Author technical proposals, summaries, presentations, and reports.
• Maintain accurate technical documentation and laboratory records.
• Lead cross-functional teams and manage projects of moderate to high complexity.
• Solve complex technical challenges and identify innovative solutions.
• Collaborate across functions to achieve shared business and innovation objectives.
• Serve as R&D Technical Lead on cross-functional initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with GMPs, food safety standards, and regulatory requirements.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position has direct supervisory responsibility for one or more R&D team members, including performance management, coaching, and professional development.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Science, Food Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of 6-8 years of Research & Development experience.
• Prior people management or technical leadership experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated expertise in formulation, product development, and commercialization.
• Strong problem-solving, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Physical Demands

• Regular sitting, hand usage, talking, and hearing.
• Frequent walking, and occasional walking; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; taste and smell
• Occasional lifting and/or moving up to 10 pounds.
• Specific vision requirements, including close vision, distance vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

• Moderate noise level typical of an office environment.

Redbarn® Pet Products is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Redbarn® Pet Products, complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, please contact Human Resources at [phone].