Senior R&D Specialist; RNF Pet Products Inc.

Senior R&D Specialist (RNF Pet Products Inc.)  Join to apply for the  Senior R&D Specialist (RNF Pet Products Inc.)  role at  Riverside Natural Foods Ltd. (Home of Made Good)
Senior R&D Specialist (RNF Pet Products Inc.)  Join to apply for the  Senior R&D Specialist (RNF Pet Products Inc.)  role at  Riverside Natural Foods Ltd. (Home of Made Good)
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Join Riverside Natural Foods Ltd., a $300 million+ Canadian-based, family-owned, and globally operating business, committed to leaving the world better than we found it. As a B-Corp certified, Triple-Bottom Line company, we proudly manufacture nutritious, 'better-for-you' snacks such as Made Good and GOOD TO GO. We value teamwork, humility, respect, ownership, adaptability, grit, and fun.

We’re on an ambitious mission to double our business by 2027, and we need talented individuals like you to help us reach new heights. At Riverside, you’ll have the opportunity to chart your own path to success while contributing to ours. We believe anything worth doing is worth doing right, and our values will guide us through the rugged terrain – and yes, it will get rough.

But that’s what makes the journey worthwhile.

So, lace up your boots and let’s tackle the climb together.

You can learn more about us at

Please note this posting is for RNF Pet Products Inc.

Position Summary/Objective

This position is responsible to develop a portfolio of branded and private label pet food & treats from idea to commercialization.

Primary Responsibilities

Demonstrate and uphold Riverside’s Core Values
Researches and stays abreast of latest pet food and ingredient trends, seeks out novel and/or functional ingredients related to pet food and snacking. Provides technical guidance to cross-functional teams like Marketing on opportunities based on research.
Partner with procurement to source new ingredients to provide functional benefits to pets, complying to Riversides supplier quality requirements
Develops new formulations to expand the RNF Pet’s product offering, meeting target costs and timeline. Completes all necessary steps including sourcing of new ingredients, developing prototypes, benchmarking against competitors, validating final formulation.
Works in conjunction with R&D Manager fulfil product design requirements for PL customers
Plans & executes plant trials. Uses results to make recommendations and actionable next steps
Validates manufacturing process for new products
Leads projects to improve productivity, quality, & consistency; engages all stakeholders throughout project
Participates with R&D manager and engineering to identify and specify requirements for new technology to improve manufacturing of existing product lines
Responsible to execute the R&D validation of new equipment to expand capacity
Delivers and maintains process specification & finished product specification
Maintains up-to-date ingredient & finished product information in Genesis software and customer specific specifications
Commits to dealing with suppliers and the TEAM in a RESPECTFUL and authentic manner
Executes special projects to improve R&D capabilities
Keeps updated documentation of assigned projects
Keeps the work atmosphere FUN by keeping it light and welcoming
Other duties as required

Reporting Relationships

The position reports directly to President – Product Development & Commercialization

No positions report to the Scientist.

Education & Qualifications

Post-secondary degree in Food Science, Engineering or Nutrition
Proven experience with product development life cycle (3+ years) in the Pet Food/Snack category

Skills & Abilities

Ability to work independently and prioritize workload
Delivers results in context of time and budget constraints
Ability to take OWNERSHIP and prioritize workload
PASSIONATE and brings enthusiasm to everything we do
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Desire for career growth and personal skill development
Exceptional time management and organizational skills, self-starter with a high level of initiative and AGILITY
Desire for personal skill development keeping a HUMBLE approach throughout

What We Expect

Values-led:
You’ll be a…