R&D Assistant- Pet Food Nutrition

Job Title:

R&D Research Assistant Department:
Research & Development

Reports To:

Director of Research & Development

Location:

Dayton, OH Job Summary

The R&D Research Assistant supports key initiatives within the Bright Pet Nutrition Group across three primary areas: new product research, product formulation, and technical support. This role plays a crucial part in product innovation, ingredient evaluation, and cross-functional support for both branded and co-manufacturing product lines.

• Assist the department manager in coordinating and managing R&D projects.
• Support the branded team in new formula development.
• Conduct packaging and labeling reviews for branded and co-manufactured products.
• Oversee daily operations of the R&D kitchen and ensure readiness for tabletop test runs.
• Collect raw ingredient and finished product samples for nutritional analysis as needed.
• Develop and validate internal ingredient requirements and verify nutritional standards.
• Develop and validate internal standards and specifications for finished products.
• Partner with the production team to build and improve critical control systems for formula fulfillment.
• Conduct process capability research with production teams to determine operational limits and improvement opportunities.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• B.S. in Animal Science or related field.
• Companion Animal Nutrition Certificate required.
• Experience in pet food nutrition required.
• Familiarity with formulation software.
• Strong knowledge of pet food ingredients.
• Prior experience in technical services preferred.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Outlook.