Research and Development Food and Beverage Manager

Job Summary

The Research and Development Food and Beverage Manager provides technical leadership across the Private Brands portfolio, ensuring products are developed, commercialized, and maintained with scientific rigor. This role is responsible for ensuring all products meet regulatory and brand QA standards while performing consistently over their intended shelf life. The position requires close collaboration with cross-functional internal teams and external suppliers to drive technical excellence and support long-term growth and operational excellence.

Key Duties And Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end technical research and development and commercialization for innovation, renovation, and maintenance initiatives across the Private Brands portfolio
• Apply and continuously improve technical development and commercialization systems that embed food safety, regulatory compliance, QA standards, and shelf-life considerations
• Translate product concepts into scalable, manufacturable formulations and processes, ensuring technical readiness for launch
• Own product performance over shelf life, including defining test strategies, validating assumptions, and managing technical risk for formulation, process, and supplier changes
• Ensure all products comply with applicable food regulations and brand QA standards
• Partner closely with QA, Regulatory, Legal, and Sensory to support approvals, audits, testing, and ongoing compliance
• Serve as a primary technical partner to co-manufacturers, establishing expectations for quality, performance, and compliance
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement and lead implementation with suppliers and internal teams
• Support supplier performance management, including technical input to scorecards, corrective actions, and continuous improvement
• Partner with Strategic Sourcing to identify, qualify, and onboard new suppliers through technical evaluations and capability assessments
• Develop, govern, and maintain technical specifications and standards, including formulations, ingredients, processes, and shelf-life assumptions
• Lead technical change management, ensuring changes are evaluated, documented, approved, and executed in a controlled manner

Education And Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in food science, Food Engineering, Chemistry, or related field
• Years of Relevant Work Experience: 6-12 years
• Years of Project Management Experience: 5+ years

Specific Knowledge And Skills

• Strong technical knowledge of food chemistry, microbiology, and processing technologies
• Expertise in formulation development, ingredient functionality, and food product optimization
• Proficiency in experimental design, product testing methodologies, and data analysis
• Understanding food safety principles, HACCP, and regulatory requirements for food products
• Experience with sensory evaluation techniques and consumer testing methodologies
• Strong project management skills with ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Excellent problem-solving abilities with a solutions-oriented approach
• Effective communication and documentation skills to present technical information to various audiences
• Ability to translate consumer insights and market trends into viable product concepts
• Strong supplier relationship management skills with experience in technical oversight
• Collaborative mindset with demonstrated success working in cross-functional environments
• Proficiency with R&D documentation systems and product lifecycle management tools