Research and Development Manager
Listed on 2026-10-16
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Manufacturing / Production
Regulatory Compliance Specialist, Product Engineer, Food Production
Kinsa is recruiting for an R&D Manager
Location:
Winston-Salem, NC (Onsite, relocation stipend)
Our client, a leader in flavors, condiments, sauces, and dressings, also provides private-label and co-manufacturing services to food service, retail, and industrial food and beverage businesses. They are seeking an R&D Manager to lead product development, translating customer and market needs into commercially viable products. You will lead a team through discovery, formulation, validation, scale-up, and commercialization while ensuring products meet sensory, nutritional, cost, quality, regulatory, and manufacturing requirements.
The ideal candidate is a technically strong, customer-focused people leader who can manage multiple priorities with urgency and attention to detail.
- Relevant degree, 7+ years of relevant food product development experience. No sponsor ships.
- $120-150k base salary plus annual bonus
- Medical, Dental, Vision, STD, LTD, Life
- 401(k)
- PTO & holiday pay
- Relocation assistance
- Lead and develop the R&D team, setting priorities, standards and accountability.
- Manage customer product development from concept through commercialization, renovation and cost optimization.
- Provide technical and culinary expertise in sauces, dressings, marinades, condiments, syrups and similar products.
- Oversee the development pipeline using disciplined testing, documentation and data-driven decisions.
- Partner with customers and cross-functional teams on requirements, trials, launches and production troubleshooting.
- Improve formulas and processes while ensuring food safety, regulatory, labeling and GMP compliance.
- Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Culinary Science or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
- 7+ years of food product development experience; people leadership preferred.
- Expertise in sauces and dressings preferred; related liquid or semi-solid products also considered.
- Strong formulation, reverse-engineering, sensory, shelf-life, food safety and processing knowledge.
- Proven ability to move products from bench development through commercial production while managing competing priorities.
- Collaborative, accountable and adaptable leader with strong communication, organization and decision-making skills; able to travel as needed.
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