Sr Director, Research & Development

IFT Education, Extension & Outreach Division; Bolingbrook (IL); On-site; USD 220,000 - 235,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Company holidays

Work-life balance initiatives

Job summary

Real Good Foods in Bolingbrook, IL is seeking a Senior Director, Research & Development to lead the end‑to‑end product development pipeline from concept to commercialization. You will drive agile R&D processes, ensure USDA/FSIS and FDA compliance, and collaborate with Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, and Quality to deliver high‑protein, low‑carb products at scale.

You will set standards for trial rigor, develop protocols, and foster a culture of ownership, feedback, and performance, guiding

Qualifications

• 10+ years in food or CPG product development with team leadership.
• Experience leading innovation from concept to commercialization.
• Experience in USDA-regulated environments with labeling knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Lead the R&D development pipeline from concept to launch.
• Develop high-protein, low-carb products meeting nutritional targets.
• Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, and Quality for launches.
• Incorporate food safety, quality, and regulatory considerations from start.
• Drive cost out of existing products while maintaining quality.
• Monitor trends to shape pipeline and formulation approach.

Skills

Leadership & people development

Strategic decision making

Ambiguity management

Cross-functional collaboration

Manufacturing & commercialization

Fast-track to market

Regulatory knowledge (US)

Labeling & claims know-how

DOE / experimental design

Education

Master’s degree in Food Science/Engineering/Meat Science

Tools

Genesis

PLM tools

Job description

Real Good Foods started with a pretty simple idea: food should taste great and be made better. Today, we’re building something bigger around that belief—challenging the status quo with real ingredients, more protein, fewer carbs, and food people genuinely crave. Through it all, we keep it real: real food, real ingredients, and really good taste. Because eating well shouldn’t be complicated. It should be Real Good.

SR DIRECTOR, RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

• BOLINGBROOK, IL
• FULL-TIME
• $220,000-$235,000 BASE

On Your Plate

Product Development

• Lead the R&D development pipeline from concept and feasibility through formulation, process development, scale-up, commercialization, and post-launch review, using agile R&D principles to compress learning cycles and keep the pipeline moving without going backwards.
• Develop products that meet Real Good Foods’ nutritional platform, including high-protein and low-carb targets.
• Partner with Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, Food Safety and Quality to define the capabilities needed to launch, vetting in-house and co‑manufacturing options and balancing speed to market with cost and margin.
• Build food safety and quality into formulation and process from the outset, partnering closely with the Quality and Food Safety teams (quality by design).
• Ensure products and labels meet USDA/FSIS and FDA requirements, partnering with regulatory, legal, and labeling resources on claims and nomenclature.
• Partner with Supply Chain and FP&A to improve quality and drive cost out of existing products.
• Monitor competitive products and consumer and regulatory trends to shape the pipeline and formulation approach.

Commercialization Partnership

• Partner with the Project Management Office on sequencing and cross‑functional coordination.
• With the PMO, coordinate with cross‑functional partners including Marketing, Operations, and Procurement to commit to and de‑risk each launch through the company’s commercialization process.

R&D Team and Standards

• Set the standard for trial rigor at the bench so formulas, BOMs, specifications, and label declarations are complete and aligned to perform at scale on the production floor.
• Create function‑wide standards for product development, bench trials, and formulation approvals.
• Own the development of protocols for product specifications, testing methods, and stability and shelf‑life approaches, with clear documentation standards that keep the work repeatable.
• Create a culture of feedback and performance to ensure the whole team performs at a high standard.

Recipe for Success

• The development pipeline moves predictably from concept through launch, and launch commitments hold.
• Learning cycles are compressed through agile, parallel‑path development, improving speed without going backwards.
• Trial rigor is consistent at the bench, with formulas, BOMs, specifications, and labels complete and aligned to perform at scale.
• New and reformulated products meet Real Good Foods’ nutritional platform and land on the right production path, balancing speed with cost and margin.
• The product development team operates to clear standards, with a culture of feedback and performance.
• R&D is seen as a driver of growth, turning ideas into products that win with consumers.
• Bring a proactive, ownership mindset to your work and help move projects forward.
• Contribute to a collaborative, high‑accountability team culture.

Essential

What You Bring to the Table

• Strong, proven leadership, with a track record of building and developing teams and getting the best from the people around them.
• Equally at home doing hands‑on benchwork and engaging with executives, with strong interpersonal and relationship‑building skills across functions and at every level.
• Comfort with ambiguity, with the ability to set direction and make sound decisions with imperfect information.
• Deep expertise in manufacturing and commercializing new products and new equipment.
• Demonstrated comfort working on accelerated timelines (concept to market in weeks or months, not years).
• 10+ years in food or CPG product development, including experience leading and developing teams.
• A track record of leading innovation from concept to development and through the commercialization process.
• Product development experience in USDA‑regulated environments, with working knowledge of label claims and nomenclature for meat and poultry.
• Master’s degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Food Chemistry, Meat Science, or a related field.
• Experience working in high‑growth or entrepreneurial environments.
• Demonstrated ability to drive results through collaboration and influence.

Preferred (strong pluses; not required)

• Experience with breaded or further‑processed proteins; poultry experience a plus.
• Experience formulating to nutritional targets such as high protein and low carb, and substantiating on‑pack claims.
• Command of structured and agile development, including design of experiments (DOE), plus scale‑up and process development experience.
• Experience building or working with formal sensory and consumer‑testing programs.
• Fluency with formulation and labeling systems (e.g., Genesis) and PLM tools.
• Broader FDA regulatory experience beyond meat and poultry.

Why Our Employees Are Full

• Because work should feel good, too.
• At Real Good Foods, employees can make an impact at a company that's redefining what's possible in frozen food. We're building a brand that helps people eat better without sacrificing the foods they love, and we know that starts with great people.

Upon Joining Real Good Foods, You’ll Find

• A mission‑driven company focused on improving lives through better nutrition.
• A culture that values ownership, action, and fresh thinking.
• Real growth and the chance to help shape the future of a category‑leading brand.

Competitive Compensation And Benefits

• Paid time off, company holidays, and work‑life balance initiatives.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Real Good Foods is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Employment decisions, including final compensation package, are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs.