Food Product Development Manager

Kinsa is recruiting for a Product Development Manager
Location: Seattle, WA (Onsite, relocation assistance provided)

Our client is a premier provider of product development & strategic business services, specializing in clean label food products. They help some of the country’s top food manufacturers develop delicious, wholesome foods. They are looking to add a seasoned Product Development Manager to their team. Your responsibilities will include management of the Development Team, monitoring and balancing labor utilization, execution of project timelines and deliverables, and facilitating education and employee engagement.

• Bachelors in Food Science, Masters preferred. Formal culinary training. 12+ years of diverse food product development experience. 5+ years of managing direct reports. Relevant certifications and memberships (see below)

Compensation/Benefits:

• Salary commensurate with experience
• Medical coverage
• Sick days, paid time off, holiday pay
• Pension & 401(k)
• Tuition reimbursement
• Relocation assistance

Key Responsibilities and Goals:

• Provide informal and formal mentorship through ongoing training, guidance, and hands-on benchwork with the development team.
• Provide operational and technical guidance to assure effective product development, planning, resourcing, and prioritization to meet project objectives.
• Ability to direct, lead, and teach; product development, ideation and concepting, culinary applications, food science, QA/QC, and commercialization.
• Ability to research and troubleshoot challenging formulations and processes. Assist in kitchen management.
• Travel for education, trade shows & conferences for industry networking and professional development.

Competencies Needed for Success:

• Formal Food Science degree, ideally a Masters.
• 12+ years work with diverse food product development and R&D. Exceptional mastery of full life-cycle food product development, from ideation through commercialization.
• Strong track record of exceptional leadership, coaching and mentoring. 5+ years of managing direct reports.
• Personal and/or professional culinary experience, passion, certifications and memberships.
• Active in networking, social media, public speaking, attending trade shows and conferences, and creative/technical writing.
• Able to travel occasionally for presentations, conferences, and trade shows.

Certifications, Licenses & Memberships
Required

• Member of IFT (national & local)
• Member of RCA

Preferred

• Certified Food Scientist (CFS)
• Certified Research Chef (CRC) or Certified Culinary Scientist (CCS)
• Preventative Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI)

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://kinsa.com/food-beverage-industry-jobs/#!/
 Recruiter Information:
George Blomgren
georgeb@kinsa.com