Senior Pet Food R&D Project Leader

StartupNWA; Dubuque (IA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Simmons Pet Food in Siloam Springs, AR, seeks a Project Leader R&D (Principal Food Scientist, Pet) to lead development initiatives across product and process development, forming a bridge between customers and internal teams. You will guide bench to scale-up activities, validate formulations, and optimize processes for high-value pet foods.

The role demands strong leadership, deep knowledge of nutrition and food science, and the ability to drive projects from concept through commercialization

Qualifications

• Five years of product development and technical services experience.
• Experience in pet food industry preferred.
• Knowledge of animal nutrition, food formulation and thermal processing.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Experience with engineering software (Concept 5, AutoCAD) is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead identification and qualification of development capabilities to meet project goals.
• Develop bench-to-pilot-to-commercial processes, considering costs and feasibility.
• Coordinate with customers and suppliers, validate processes, and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Manage project portfolio updates and report outcomes.

Skills

Product development experience

Technical services

Pet food industry knowledge

Animal nutrition

Food formulation

Thermal processing

Excel

PowerPoint

AutoCAD

Concept 5

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science or related field

Tools

AutoCAD

Concept 5

Job description

Simmons Pet Food in Siloam Springs, AR, seeks a Project Leader R&D (Principal Food Scientist, Pet) to lead development initiatives across product and process development, forming a bridge between customers and internal teams. You will guide bench to scale-up activities, validate formulations, and optimize processes for high-value pet foods.

The role demands strong leadership, deep knowledge of nutrition and food science, and the ability to drive projects from concept through commercialization