Product Development & R&D Manager(Food)
- 5+ years of experience in sweet and/or dairy product development.
Are you looking to make a career change to a rapidly growing, stable, innovating company? This exciting opportunity as a Product Development & R&D Manager(Food) offers a competitive salary plus an excellent benefits package including medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, paid PTO etc. Does this position match your future career goals? Then this Product Development & R&D Manager(Food) opportunity could be the right fit for you.
Responsibilities:
- Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Sweet & Dairy technologists and research chefs.
- Create and deliver high‑quality sweet and dairy product concepts across bakery, confectionery, ice cream, and related applications.
- Collaborate directly with customers to establish effective workflows and deliver prototypes that exceed sensory, quality, and timing expectations.
- Serve as a technical subject matter expert for customers, sales teams, and internal cross‑functional partners.
- Prepare bench‑top samples and prototypes for customer evaluation and internal review.
- Guide flavor selection and application strategy across sweet and dairy categories.
- Stay current on regulatory requirements, category trends, and emerging consumer insights to inform product development.
- Conduct flavor testing for stability, shelf life, performance, and recommended usage levels.
- Host customer development sessions and rapid‑prototyping workshops at the Northbrook facility.
- Travel as needed to support customer projects, presentations, and sales initiatives.
Requirements:
- Associate’s degree (A.A.S.) in Culinary Arts, Food Science, Nutrition, or related field; or a Bachelor of Science.
- 5+ years of experience in sweet and/or dairy product development.
- Background in food science, culinary science, culinology, pastry arts, or related disciplines.
- Demonstrated leadership and project management experience.
- Strong expertise in flavor applications for confectionery, bakery, and dairy products.
- Proven ability to develop new flavor concepts and manage key customer accounts.
- Skilled in sensory evaluation, descriptive analysis, and consumer testing methodologies.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and customer‑facing skills.
- Passion for food, culture, innovation, and continuous learning.
Benefits:
- Competitive Salary
- Immediate Hire
- Career Advancement opportunities
- Financial Growth
Ask for Jasleen
[email protected]
Ajulia Executive Search is a search firm specializing in Manufacturing, Finance, IT, Legal and Pharmaceutical positions. This is a confidential search for one of our preferred clients. It is a direct hire position that includes competitive compensation and full comprehensive benefit package.
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