Research and Development Technician

Express Employment Professionals is hiring a Research & Development Specialist for a local Cookie company in Sevierville, TN company.

Pay: $25.00 pending experience

Schedule:

Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm- occasionally early mornings/evenings/weekends based on project needs.

We are looking for a detail-oriented and curious R&D Technician to join our bakery's product development team, focused on cookies and baked snacks. In this role, you will support the creation, testing, and refinement of new cookie and snack formulations, helping bring innovative products from concept to shelf. You'll work closely with food scientists, bakers, and quality assurance staff in a fast-paced, hands-on kitchen and lab environment.

• Assist in developing and testing new cookies and baked snack formulations (e.g., soft-baked, crunchy, doughs, and seasoned snack components)
• Prepare small-batch and pilot-scale bakes following experimental recipes and protocols
• Accurately measure, mix, and document ingredients, process parameters, and results
• Conduct sensory evaluations (taste, texture, appearance, aroma) and record findings
• Perform basic quality and analytical tests (e.g., moisture content, pH, water activity, weight/yield checks)
• Maintain detailed and organized records of trials, formulations, and test data
• Support scale-up trials from bench-top to pilot plant or production-line testing
• Help troubleshoot formulation or process issues during product development
• Maintain cleanliness and organization of the R&D kitchen/lab, including stock of typical materials
• Source and track ingredients, including working purchasing on samples and specifications
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (marketing, quality assurance, operations) to align product goals with technical feasibility
• Support preparation and packaging of R&D samples for customer evaluation and conferences