Research and Development Manager

Kinsa is recruiting for an R&D Manager
Location: Winston-Salem, NC (Onsite, relocation stipend)

Our client, a leader in flavors, condiments, sauces, and dressings, also provides private-label and co-manufacturing services to foodservice, retail, and industrial food and beverage businesses. They are seeking an R&D Manager to lead product development, translating customer and market needs into commercially viable products. You will lead a team through discovery, formulation, validation, scale-up, and commercialization while ensuring products meet sensory, nutritional, cost, quality, regulatory, and manufacturing requirements. The ideal candidate is a technically strong, customer-focused people leader who can manage multiple priorities with urgency and attention to detail.

• Relevant degree, 7+ years of relevant food product development experience. No sponsorships.

Compensation & Benefits:

• $120-150k base salary plus annual bonus
• Medical, Dental, Vision, STD, LTD, Life
• 401(k)
• PTO & holiday pay
• Relocation assistance

Key Responsibilities and Goals:

• Lead and develop the R&D team, setting priorities, standards and accountability.
• Manage customer product development from concept through commercialization, renovation and cost optimization.
• Provide technical and culinary expertise in sauces, dressings, marinades, condiments, syrups and similar products.
• Oversee the development pipeline using disciplined testing, documentation and data-driven decisions.
• Partner with customers and cross-functional teams on requirements, trials, launches and production troubleshooting.
• Improve formulas and processes while ensuring food safety, regulatory, labeling and GMP compliance.

Competencies Needed for Success:

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Culinary Science or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 7+ years of food product development experience; people leadership preferred.
• Expertise in sauces and dressings preferred; related liquid or semi-solid products also considered.
• Strong formulation, reverse-engineering, sensory, shelf-life, food safety and processing knowledge.
• Proven ability to move products from bench development through commercial production while managing competing priorities.
• Collaborative, accountable and adaptable leader with strong communication, organization and decision-making skills; able to travel as needed.

Referrals are our best source for the top talent our clients need so if you know of anyone with these skills in the food and beverage industry, please pass me their name and email/phone number, or share this job posting with them. Kinsa pays referral bonuses if someone you refer gets hired by our client!

Check out our other food and beverage industry career opportunities at https://www.kinsa.com/food-beverage-industry-jobs/#!/Recruiter Information:
George Blomgren
georgeb@kinsa.com