Product Development & R&D Manager; Food

Are you looking to make a career change to a rapidly growing, stable, innovating company? This exciting opportunity as a Product Development & R&D Manager(Food) offers a competitive salary plus an excellent benefits package including medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, paid PTO etc. Does this position match your future career goals? Then this Product Development & R&D Manager(Food) opportunity could be the right fit for you.

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Sweet & Dairy technologists and research chefs.
• Create and deliver high‑quality sweet and dairy product concepts across bakery, confectionery, ice cream, and related applications.
• Collaborate directly with customers to establish effective workflows and deliver prototypes that exceed sensory, quality, and timing expectations.
• Serve as a technical subject matter expert for customers, sales teams, and internal cross‑functional partners.
• Prepare bench‑top samples and prototypes for customer evaluation and internal review.
• Guide flavor selection and application strategy across sweet and dairy categories.
• Stay current on regulatory requirements, category trends, and emerging consumer insights to inform product development.
• Conduct flavor testing for stability, shelf life, performance, and recommended usage levels.
• Host customer development sessions and rapid‑prototyping workshops at the Northbrook facility.
• Travel as needed to support customer projects, presentations, and sales initiatives.

• Associate’s degree (A.A.S.) in Culinary Arts, Food Science, Nutrition, or related field; or a Bachelor of Science.
• 5+ years of experience in sweet and/or dairy product development.
• Background in food science, culinary science, culinology, pastry arts, or related disciplines.
• Demonstrated leadership and project management experience.
• Strong expertise in flavor applications for confectionery, bakery, and dairy products.
• Proven ability to develop new flavor concepts and manage key customer accounts.
• Skilled in sensory evaluation, descriptive analysis, and consumer testing methodologies.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and customer‑facing skills.
• Passion for food, culture, innovation, and continuous learning.
• Immediate Hire

Ask for Jasleen