Sr. Manager – R&D Innovation

Sr. Manager – R&D Innovation | South Chicago, IL

Kelly® Science & Clinical is seeking a Sr. Manager – R&D Innovation for a contract opportunity with a premier food manufacturing organization. This is a highly hands-on, high-impact role responsible for owning product development, supporting commercialization efforts, and driving R&D execution within a lean team environment.

Pay: $45–55/hour

Duration: 3–4 month contract with potential for extension or conversion

Overview

• This position will serve as the primary R&D technical lead at the South Chicago facility, working closely with leadership to support ongoing product development, maintenance, and commercialization initiatives. You will own the development of products and help transition them into production while also addressing critical immediate business needs such as documentation alignment, shelf-life studies, and formulation updates.

• This is a “roll up your sleeves” role where you will act as a one-person R&D team initially—balancing strategic innovation work with hands-on lab, plant, and documentation responsibilities. The ideal candidate brings an entrepreneurial mindset, thrives in a lean environment, and is comfortable taking initiative to solve problems and build processes.

Responsibilities:

• Own end-to-end product development, from benchtop formulation through commercialization and production handoff.
• Conduct benchtop sample development and formulation adjustments, including ongoing ingredient and process changes (e.g., transitioning formulations such as natural antioxidant updates).
• Design and execute shelf-life studies and product validation activities to ensure product quality and stability.
• Create, review, and align Technical Data Sheets (TDS), product specifications, and other key documentation across the portfolio.
• Support the “paperwork side” of R&D, including reviewing nutrition facts, ensuring data accuracy, and maintaining documentation integrity.
• Lead frying (deep frying) testing and validation to update product performance data and support customer-facing claims.
• Plan, set up, and execute sensory panels to evaluate product quality and competitive positioning.
• Manage a pipeline of projects focused on product maintenance, documentation cleanup, and process improvements.
• Create new documentation and standardize existing specifications, ensuring consistency across products.
• Support onboarding and implementation of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems (e.g., Optiva), including organizing and uploading product data (formulas, specifications, etc.).
• Partner with Operations to support pilot runs, process optimization, and successful commercialization of products.
• Ensure compliance with FDA and USDA regulatory standards; familiarity with USDA-regulated environments is a plus.
• Act as a cross-functional resource, collaborating with operations, quality, and other stakeholders to troubleshoot issues and drive solutions.
• Operate as the primary R&D resource, demonstrating initiative and independently identifying priorities and solutions in a developing environment.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Engineering, or a related field (Master’s preferred).
• 7–10+ years of experience in R&D, product development, or innovation within a food manufacturing or CPG environment (flexible based on experience fit).
• Strong hands-on experience with product formulation, scaling, and commercialization.
• Experience conducting shelf-life studies, sensory evaluations, and product validation.
• Experience with technical documentation such as TDS, specifications, and nutrition labeling.
• Familiarity with FDA and USDA regulatory environments (USDA experience preferred but not required).
• Experience with PLM systems (such as Optiva) or managing product lifecycle data is a plus.
• Ability to work independently in a lean, evolving team structure.
• Strong problem-solving mindset with the ability to take initiative and navigate ambiguity.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Typical Working Conditions:

• Onsite role at South Chicago facility (4 days/week onsite; 5 days during initial onboarding).
• Typical schedule starts around 7:00–8 AM with core collaboration hours from 9:00 AM–3:00 PM.
• Combination of office, lab, and production floor work.
• Ability to stand for extended periods and participate in plant trials and testing.
• Flexibility to support production runs or key initiatives outside standard hours if needed.

What happens next:

• Once you apply, you’ll proceed to the next steps if your skills and experience are a good fit. Even if this position isn’t the right match, you’ll remain in our network—giving our expert Science & Clinical recruiters access to your profile for future opportunities.