Research And Development Specialist

The Research Engineer Contractor, Salty R&D Process Development, supports hands‑on process development, experimentation, scale‑up, and technical problem‑solving across salty and baked snack platforms, including popcorn, extruded snacks, pretzels, fried snacks, and baked cracker/snack systems. The role is intended to support many of the same platform and process‑development activities as the Senior Engineer, Salty R&D scope, but at a Research Engineer level: assisting on higher‑complexity projects, leading defined work streams within larger programs, and independently driving low‑complexity assignments with manager guidance.

This contractor will work closely with Product Development, Engineering, Operations, Quality, Manufacturing, Procurement, and external partners to execute pilot‑plant and plant trials, collect and analyze process data, document results, and translate learnings into practical recommendations for commercialization, process optimization, and capability growth.

• Assist in development, optimization, and validation of salty snack processes across pilot and manufacturing environments.
• Execute experimental plans, collect process data, analyze results, and summarize technical conclusions using appropriate analytical and statistical tools.
• Operate and support laboratory, pilot‑plant, and factory equipment, including setup, preparation, troubleshooting, trial execution, and cleanup coordination.
• Support process scale‑up and commercialization by helping define operating windows, process guides, critical parameters, and technical risks.
• Apply structured problem‑solving to issues such as moisture control, texture variability, oil management, seasoning adhesion, expansion consistency, heat distribution, and airflow performance.
• Prepare concise written reports, trial summaries, SOPs/process guides, and presentations to communicate recommendations to project teams and management.

• Assist in developing, optimizing, and validating processes for popcorn, extruded snacks, pretzels, fried snacks, and baked snack systems.
• Support work on oil popping/air popping, seasoning application, moisture management, dough systems, thermal profiles, cutting/forming, frying, baking, drying, airflow, and hydration systems.
• Execute experiments to improve throughput, yield, texture, color, moisture distribution, seasoning coverage, and product consistency.
• Help translate pilot and plant learnings into practical operating windows and process recommendations.

• Support pilot‑scale and plant‑scale trials for new products, process changes, equipment modifications, and technology introductions.
• Assist Operations and Engineering during startup, commissioning support, process validation, and troubleshooting activities.
• Collect and organize trial data, observations, sample requirements, and follow‑up actions during plant or pilot work.
• Support manufacturing teams by contributing to process guides, startup documentation, and critical control parameter definition.

• Design or assist with experiments using DOE, structured trials, capability assessments, or other analytical methods appropriate to the project scope.
• Analyze process data such as temperature, pressure, moisture, airflow, oil quality metrics, throughput, and product attributes to identify trends and opportunities.
• Prepare technical summaries, reports, SOPs, trial documentation, scale‑up recommendations, and presentation materials.
• Document technical risks, assumptions, conclusions, and recommended next steps in a clear and disciplined manner.

• Partner with Product Development to align formulation needs with process design and manufacturing capability.
• Collaborate with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Procurement, suppliers, and external partners to support process‑learning objectives.
• Communicate project updates, technical issues, and recommendations to cross‑functional team members and management.
• Provide hands‑on direction…