Research And Development Manager

Reports to: [VP Operations / General Manager / VP Innovation]

Works closely with: Quality Assurance, Marketing, Operations, Procurement

Vigo Importing Company, a Tampa-based, multi-generational, family business and a leader in the food importing and distribution industry since 1947, is seeking a Food Scientist / R&D Manager.

The Food Scientist / R&D Manager serves as the technical owner of product formulation, ingredient functionality, and scale-up across a growing portfolio of shelf-stable food products.

This role does not own Quality Assurance or regulatory compliance
, but works in close partnership with QA to ensure all technical decisions are safe, compliant, and production-ready.

• Lead formulation and reformulation of shelf-stable food products to meet sensory, functional, cost, and shelf-life objectives
• Evaluate opportunities to simplify ingredient statements, improve label friendliness, and modernize formulations without compromising performance
• Support the company’s innovation pipeline by translating marketing and consumer insights into technically viable products
• Own bench-top development, pilot trials, and scale-up to commercial production
• Work with QA to assess food safety implications and confirm formulations align with approved limits and documentation requirements.

• Develop internally defined, fit-for-use ingredient specifications based on functional performance, process behavior, and product requirements (COA requirements)
• Establish acceptable ranges and tolerances that balance performance, quality consistency, and supply flexibility
• Define approved ingredient alternatives and functional equivalency criteria to support sourcing flexibility and cost-down initiatives
• Work with QA to incorporate food safety parameters, allergen status, COA requirements, and formal approval into controlled specification documents.

• Define product-level technical targets (pH, water activity, viscosity, texture, sensory benchmarks, stability expectations, etc.)
• Support shelf-life strategy through formulation decisions and ingredient selection
• Troubleshoot formulation-driven performance or consistency issues across production and co-manufacturers
• Work with QA to ensure product specs are measurable, defensible, and aligned with safety and compliance standards.

• Lead technical transfer from development to production at internal facilities and co-manufacturers
• Support process optimization related to formulation, ingredient handling, and processing conditions
• Investigate and resolve formulation-driven production issues

• Partner closely with Sales/
  Marketing to:
• Evaluate the feasibility of new product concepts
• Support innovation briefs with technical input
• Align formulation capabilities with consumer and category trends
• Provide technical input to Procurement on ingredient sourcing, supplier changes, and reformulation opportunities
• Serve as the internal subject-matter expert on ingredient functionality and processing behavior
• Act as the technical interface with ingredient suppliers, co-manufacturers, and external laboratories
• Support the Customer Service department with addressing inquiries related to technical product attributes.
• Assist with providing technical data sheets and COAs for commercial customers.

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, or related discipline (Master’s preferred)
• 5–10+ years of hands-on food formulation and commercialization experience
• Experience with shelf-stable food systems (sauces, condiments, dry blends, acidified foods, or similar)
• Strong understanding of ingredient functionality, processing impacts, and scale-up
• Familiarity with consumer and ingredient trends in the food industry
• HACCP training or certification is a plus
  , but not required
• Ability to work cross-functionally in a fast-moving, collaborative environment