R&D/Application Specialist – Dairy & Beverage

Position: R&D/Application Specialist – Dairy & Beverage

Location: Oakville, Ontario. This is a full-time on-site role.

Status: Contractual – until December 31st, 2026. This is a replacement.

We are currently recruiting for an experienced and highly motivated R&D/Application Specialist with Dairy expertise, to support our Food & Nutrition business, on a contract basis (current to December 31st, 2026).

Reporting to the Innovation/R&D Manager, the candidate will be the lead for our R&D activities related to the Dairy industry, as well as Beverage, with a dotted line to our Business Segment Manager – Dairy & Beverage.

The role is essential to support our commercial team to achieve accelerated business growth through next level customer experience and innovation. You will be responsible for developing innovative value-added ingredient blends for dairy & beverage applications, ensuring commercial requirements are met or exceeded, in addition to creating concepts to showcase various ingredient solutions and technical expertise.

Our Ideal Candidate

• You have proven analytical, research and development experience and apply those skills to solving technical challenges
• You are a top-notch formulator and you understand food microbiology principles
• You are passionate about food, food ingredients and the food industry
• You have a curious mind and seek to understand and solve problems
• You have excellent computer skills and are well versed in the MS Office Suite and Genesis Nutritional software
• You embrace continuous improvement
• You are innovative in your thinking and ideas and have a creative spirit
• You are proactive, adaptable, resourceful
• You are a clear communicator and relationship builder
• You are comfortable presenting to audiences both small and large, in a dynamic and engaging manner
• You work well with other cross-functional teams (Sales, QA, Operations, Marketing, etc.)

What would be your main responsibilities as a R&D/Application Specialist?:

• Lead all new product development for manufactured blends within the Dairy & Beverage segment, including product improvement, meeting or exceeding commercial requirements
• Create great tasting, on trend prototypes/concepts that will be used as sales tools to promote Quadra’s ingredients and blending capabilities to generate new opportunities
• Contribute to the maintenance of the R&D laboratory including managing ingredient inventory, finished product samples, and ensuring Good Laboratory/Manufacturing Practices are employed.
• Support the management of the R&D pilot plant equipment, ensuring all equipment are operated, cleaned and serviced to enable scale up development activities
• Keep abreast of emerging market trends and technology advancement in the industry to facilitate continuous improvement.
• Attend key tradeshows, supporting the promotion of our ingredients and services, or as an attendee exploring what is new and interesting in the industry, as required
• Support the sales team with customer joint calls and presentations, serving as one of our domain experts during meetings with customers.
• Contribute to all technical documentation related to projects and product development including product specifications, nutritional tables, labels and Bills of Material.
• Provide technical support to operations to assist with troubleshooting and problem solving.

What are the requirements to have success in this position?:

• Bachelor or Masters degree in Food Science or equivalent experience
• Minimum 3 years of experience in dairy formulation and processing
• Demonstrated value creation and delivery of applications projects on time and in budget
• Comprehensive knowledge of ingredients: proteins, starches, hydrocolloids, acidulants, oils and fats
• Strong organizational, multitasking, analytical and critical thinking skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to connect easily with internal and external business partners
• Exceptional time management, prioritization and problem-solving skills along with the ability to thrive in a team or independently
• High level of self-motivation with ability to take initiative.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, knowledge of Genesis SQL an asset;
• Strong knowledge of HACCP, GFSI, Food Safety and Good Laboratory Practices

At Quadra, we offer more than just an engaging culture and a collaborative, family-oriented, and supportive work environment—we also provide autonomy and flexibility. You will have the opportunity to be part of a professional, dynamic, innovative, and committed team within a people-centered organization certified as a Great Place to Work®.

In addition to this certification, Quadra has been recognized for over 20 years as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies. You will work alongside motivated and passionate colleagues who are eager to share their knowledge.

Compensation Information: The annual base pay range for this position is reasonably expected to be $61,200.00 to $91,800.00. Please note that the base pay shown is a guideline, and individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as job-related knowledge, skills, education, and experience. Quadra’s salary ranges are benchmarked and are determined by role and level. Please note that the base pay shown qualifications, skill level, competencies, and work location.

At Quadra, we are committed to offering a competitive and rewarding total compensation package that recognizes your expertise and supports your professional growth.

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Quadra supports and values diversity and offer equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status and gender identity. Quadra also welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. We recognize that some people do not identify themselves as either male or female. Therefore, whenever possible, we have opted for a gender-neutral wording in a non-discriminatory spirit.

Please note that Quadra recruiters only use official @quadragroup.com email addresses. We never request fees or sensitive personal information during recruitment. Be cautious if you receive messages from domains that look similar to Quadra Group but are not official. If in doubt, please contact us directly via our Careers page.