Sausage Product Development Lead

Most product developers spend their careers improving formulas someone else wrote, on lines someone else designed. This role is different. New plants are coming online, a growing sausage portfolio is being built from the ground up, and the person in this seat will help shape what runs on those lines, from the first bench batch to full production.

I’m partnering with a large, established manufacturer to find a senior sausage expert who wants real ownership and is happiest out on the plant floor. The role is based in Colorado with roughly 50% travel to new production sites in the Midwest.

• Lead sausage development from concept through commercialization, balancing flavor, texture, yield, shelf life and cost
• Drive pilot runs, plant trials, scale-up and new plant startups, and solve problems on the floor as they come up
• Bring deep formulation expertise across emulsions, meat systems and ingredient functionality
• Help commission and optimize new processing equipment
• Mentor scientists and engineers and influence technical direction across operations, quality, engineering and commercial teams

• Bachelor’s in meat science, food science, food or chemical engineering, or a related field (master’s a plus)
• 12 to 15 years of industry experience, or 8+ with a master’s
• Extensive hands‑on sausage experience covering grinding, mixing, stuffing, thermal processing, chilling, packaging and yield
• Plant startup and scale‑up experience, plus a strong grasp of HACCP and sanitary design
• An entrepreneurial, self‑directed style. This is a senior individual contributor role with no direct reports.