Senior Product Developer & Food Scientist - Dessert Innovator

Dessert Holdings Inc.; Silverton (OR); On-site; USD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) and matching

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

Willamette Valley Pie Company, based in Silverton, Oregon, is seeking a Senior Product Developer / Food Scientist onsite. This role owns new product development end-to-end—from concept through first commercial run—and may coordinate with sister facilities in Smyrna, GA.

You will drive scale-up, shelf-life validation, labeling, and cost, while partnering with QA, Purchasing, and Finance. The position reports to the R&D Manager, carries a base salary of $80,000–$90,000 with a performance bonus,

Qualifications

• Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, or Culinary Science (professional pastry credential may substitute).
• 3+ years in product development, R&D, or culinary development in commercial food manufacturing. Bakery/dessert experience preferred.
• Documented scale-up track record from bench to commercial line.
• Working knowledge of bakery and dessert systems, emulsions, and freeze-thaw behavior.
• Fluency with FDA labeling, allergen control, nutritional analysis, and clean-label ingredients.
• Costing literacy: build BOMs and discuss ingredient costs with Finance.
• GMPs, PPE, sanitation, HACCP awareness; PCQI/HACCP/SQF preferred.
• Valid US state driver’s license; travel up to 25% including multi-day trips.

Responsibilities

• Own development end-to-end from concept to commercial launch. Translate briefs into concepts, bench prototypes, pilot batches, and plant trials.
• Lead scale-up trials at WVPC and Dessert Holdings facilities; be present for first commercial runs and adjust formulas or processes as needed.
• Formulate private label for In-Store Bakery; collaborate with Sales to meet customer specs, price points, and equipment.
• Own BOM and cost, work with Finance to ensure margins and justify reformulations if required.
• Qualify ingredients and suppliers with Purchasing and QA; build second sources for single-sourced items.
• Own shelf-life and food-safety validation including water activity, pH, freeze-thaw, and microbial shelf life; ensure data behind codes dates.
• Own labeling accuracy: nutritional analysis, ingredient statements, allergen declarations, packaging proofs.
• Define the Gold Standard with QA: written specs, tolerances, and validated prep/bake instructions across equipment.
• Provide technical production and quality support; diagnose and fix issues during early runs.
• Escalate any food safety or labeling risk; stop trials or lines when necessary with support from the team.

Skills

Food Science

R&D experience

Scale-up

Food safety

Costing

Project ownership

Education

Degree in Food Science / Culinary Science

Job description

Willamette Valley Pie Company, based in Silverton, Oregon, is seeking a Senior Product Developer / Food Scientist onsite. This role owns new product development end-to-end—from concept through first commercial run—and may coordinate with sister facilities in Smyrna, GA.

You will drive scale-up, shelf-life validation, labeling, and cost, while partnering with QA, Purchasing, and Finance. The position reports to the R&D Manager, carries a base salary of $80,000–$90,000 with a performance bonus,