R&D Project Manager

Position Overview

A growing food manufacturer is seeking an experienced R&D Project Manager to lead product development, innovation, and process improvement initiatives within a high-volume food manufacturing environment. This position will play a key role in bringing new products from initial concept through commercialization while also improving existing formulations, manufacturing processes, product quality, and operational efficiency.

The ideal candidate will bring a strong technical foundation in food science, food engineering, or product development, combined with demonstrated experience managing complex R&D projects and cross-functional teams. Experience working with bakery products, dough-based products, refrigerated foods, or similar food manufacturing processes is highly preferred.

This individual will work closely with Product Development, Quality, Operations, Engineering, Marketing, Sales, suppliers, and other business partners to successfully execute projects from laboratory and pilot-scale development through full-scale manufacturing.

Key Responsibilities

R&D Project Management & Leadership

• Lead multiple R&D and product development projects involving new formulations, existing product improvements, process optimization, cost reduction, and commercialization.
• Establish project scope, objectives, timelines, milestones, resource requirements, and deliverables.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams throughout the entire product development lifecycle.
• Ensure projects are completed on schedule, within scope, and in alignment with established budgets and business objectives.
• Identify potential project risks, technical challenges, and operational roadblocks while developing solutions to keep initiatives moving forward.
• Provide clear project updates, recommendations, and technical findings to senior leadership and key stakeholders.

Product Development & Innovation

• Lead the development and commercialization of new food products and formulations that meet customer expectations, manufacturing capabilities, cost targets, and quality standards.
• Partner with food scientists, engineers, operations teams, and technical personnel to develop and optimize formulations.
• Evaluate new ingredients, raw materials, processing methods, technologies, and equipment that can improve product quality, consistency, shelf life, or manufacturing efficiency.
• Support laboratory trials, plant trials, production testing, scale-up, and full commercialization.
• Apply technical knowledge of food science and manufacturing to troubleshoot formulation and processing challenges.
• Identify opportunities to improve existing products based on consumer needs, customer requirements, operational performance, and market trends.

Commercialization & Scale-Up

• Guide products through the transition from laboratory or pilot development into full-scale manufacturing.
• Partner closely with plant Operations, Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain teams during production trials and new product launches.
• Evaluate production results and make necessary adjustments to formulations, processing parameters, equipment settings, or manufacturing procedures.
• Provide hands-on technical troubleshooting during trials, start-ups, and commercialization activities.
• Ensure products can be manufactured consistently, safely, efficiently, and at the required quality standards.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Build strong working relationships across R&D, Quality Assurance, Operations, Engineering, Marketing, Sales, Supply Chain, and other business functions.
• Translate customer and business needs into actionable technical development plans.
• Provide technical guidance to manufacturing teams when addressing product quality or process-related challenges.
• Work with Quality and Food Safety teams to ensure new products and processes meet applicable regulatory, food safety, and quality requirements.
• Collaborate with suppliers and external partners to evaluate ingredients, materials, equipment, and emerging technologies.

Data Analysis & Documentation

• Analyze laboratory results, production data, trial results, sensory findings, and manufacturing performance to support data-driven decision-making.
• Use technical findings to recommend modifications to formulations, processes, ingredients, or production parameters.
• Maintain accurate documentation for formulations, testing protocols, development activities, production trials, specifications, and manufacturing parameters.
• Prepare technical reports, presentations, project updates, and recommendations for leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.

Budget & Resource Management

• Manage project budgets and resources to support efficient development and commercialization.
• Coordinate with ingredient suppliers, equipment manufacturers, vendors, and external technical partners.
• Support sourcing and evaluation of ingredients, equipment, materials, and services required for development projects.
• Balance technical performance, product quality, manufacturability, cost, and project timelines when making development decisions.

Safety & Quality

• Promote safe work practices throughout laboratory, pilot, and manufacturing environments.
• Ensure development activities comply with applicable health, safety, hygiene, food safety, quality, and regulatory standards.
• Partner with plant and Quality teams to maintain appropriate standards throughout product development and commercialization.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Cereal Science, or a related technical discipline.
• Approximately 5-10 years of R&D, food science, product development, process development, or commercialization experience within the food manufacturing industry.
• Previous experience leading complex technical projects and cross-functional teams.
• Strong experience taking products or processes from laboratory development through plant trials, scale-up, and full-scale commercialization.
• Experience with bakery, refrigerated products, dough systems, or similar food manufacturing applications is highly desirable.
• Working knowledge of food safety, quality systems, manufacturing controls, and regulatory requirements.

Technical & Professional Skills

• Strong understanding of food formulation, ingredient functionality, food chemistry, processing, and manufacturing principles.
• Knowledge of bakery or dough ingredients, processing techniques, production equipment, and manufacturing challenges is preferred.
• Ability to troubleshoot complex product and process issues in a production environment.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret technical and manufacturing data.
• Proven ability to manage several projects, priorities, and timelines simultaneously.
• Strong project management, organization, and planning capabilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate technical concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment where priorities may shift based on customer and business requirements.
• Experience utilizing project management software and organizational tools is beneficial.

Leadership Competencies

High Performance: Demonstrates accountability for results, establishes clear priorities, executes against timelines, and takes initiative when facing challenges.

Collaboration: Builds productive relationships across functions and works effectively with technical teams, manufacturing personnel, leadership, suppliers, and customers.

Innovation: Challenges existing approaches and proactively identifies opportunities to improve products, processes, quality, cost, and efficiency.

Problem Solving: Takes a practical, solutions-oriented approach to technical and operational challenges and can quickly translate findings into actionable recommendations.

Ownership: Demonstrates initiative and follows projects through from initial concept through implementation and commercialization.

Attention to Detail: Effectively manages large amounts of technical information while maintaining accurate documentation and identifying the details that can impact product performance or project success.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to manage multiple development and commercialization projects simultaneously.
• Willingness to spend time in both R&D and manufacturing environments.
• Ability to travel periodically to manufacturing locations, supplier facilities, customer meetings, industry events, or technical conferences.
• Strong interest in food innovation, bakery technology, product development, and manufacturing improvement.
• Ability to operate successfully in a highly collaborative, cross-functional organization.