This individual will bridge the gap between culinary creativity and food science expertise. You will be responsible for developing innovative, flavorful, and health-conscious products that meet our rigorous quality, safety, and certification standards. This role requires a unique combination of culinary intuition, scientific rigor, and commercial awareness to take concepts from initial ideation in the test kitchen through full-scale manufacturing. You will collaborate cross-functionally with R&D, Operations, Marketing, and Sales to ensure products not only delight our consumers but also align with the company's mission of empowering busy people to eat clean without sacrificing flavor.
What You’ll Do:
- Develops new product ideas and concepts, from test prototype samples through commercialization
- Creates product specifications and calculating initial formula and ingredient costs.
- Assists with sourcing new and uncommon ingredients to match our healthy standards, along with meeting our SQF and USDA certifications.
- Owns formulating product to meet all product claims.
- Assumes the role of an innovator and project leader, demonstrating initiative, creativity, and thoroughness in the execution of complex projects.
- Actively seeks out new food trends, consumer tastes, requests, and nutrition while monitoring local and national competition.
- Responsible for creating and maintaining data in a variety of systems for product IP, Operations training and internal/external compliance
- Works closely with the teams on establishing production processes, monitoring consistency and quality of foods, problem-solving production variances, and packaging of all items.
- Partner with Marketing and sales for new product introductions, food styling, photoshoots, etc.
- GFCO/Paleo/NGPV/USDA awareness and applied knowledge
- All other duties as assigned or necessary.
What You’ll Need:
- Bachelors degree in Culinology, Culinary Science, Food Science, Meat Science, Nutrition, or Culinary School certification with applied technical experience.
- 1-3 years applied experience in a restaurant kitchen or commercial/manufacturing environment, research chef experience is a plus.
- 2-4 years product development experience in a food manufacturing environment.
- Extensive ingredient functionality, flavor development, and sensory evaluation experience.
- Understanding complex food systems from a physical and chemical perspective.
- Sound working knowledge of food science principals and manufacturing principles such as GMP, HACCP, food safety, sanitary practices and regulations.
- Good laboratory practices, including organized data documentation and presentation, attention to detail, and ability to follow batch protocols.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and handle multiple projects/tasks at any given time.
- Strong computer skills, especially working with nutritional software, spreadsheets, and quality systems.
- Strong communication and presentation skills.
- Proven success in development using sterilization of food products.
- Proven teamwork and collaboration in small groups.
- Product development of paleo/keto food products a strong plus.
