Senior Product Developer & Pastry Scientist

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

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

Willamette Valley Pie Company is seeking a senior Product Developer / Food Scientist in Silverton, OR. You will own new product development end-to-end, from concept to first production runs, collaborating with Dessert Holdings facilities to ensure consistency across brands.

This role combines food science with pastry craft, requiring hands-on bench-to-plant work and travel up to 25% for plant trials and multi-site launches.

Qualifications

• Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, or Culinary Science.
• A pastry credential plus commercial formulation experience can substitute for the degree.
• 3+ years in product development, R&D, or culinary development in food manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Own development end-to-end from concept to commercial launch.
• Lead scale-up trials at WVPC and Dessert Holdings facilities.
• Develop private label for In-Store Bakery.
• Manage BOM and cost with Finance to hit margins.
• Qualify ingredients and suppliers; build second sources.
• Oversee shelf life, food safety validation, and labeling accuracy.
• Define the Gold Standard with QA; prepare specs and instructions.
• Support Production and Quality; diagnose issues during runs.
• Escalate any food safety, allergen, or labeling risks immediately.

Skills

Food science knowledge

Scale-up know-how

BOM costing

FDA labeling knowledge

GMP compliance

Travel readiness

Education

Food Science degree

pastry credential in lieu of degree

Tools

PCQI

HACCP

SQF

Job description

Willamette Valley Pie Company is seeking a senior Product Developer / Food Scientist in Silverton, OR. You will own new product development end-to-end, from concept to first production runs, collaborating with Dessert Holdings facilities to ensure consistency across brands.

This role combines food science with pastry craft, requiring hands-on bench-to-plant work and travel up to 25% for plant trials and multi-site launches.