Director of R&D

2 months ago

Stockton, United States Kevin's Natural Foods Full time

Our exciting and growing company is looking for a creative and agile leader to head the R&D function. If you have lots of passion for food, culinary and food science expertise, are consumer and customer focused, and enjoy working in a dynamic environment - then this might be the right opportunity for you. At Kevin’s Natural Foods, we are a foodie culture that holds culinary arts near and dear to our hearts as it is the core of our restaurant quality products. Our products are shockingly delicious, carry multiple health credentials, and are prepared in 10 minutes or less.

As the Research and Development (R&D) Director, you will partner with our Corporate Chef in playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of our food products. Your responsibilities will include maintaining and enhancing our existing portfolio while also playing a key role in the development of our new products. You’ll be a very hands-on leader of a talented team of culinary experts, driving excellence in product, packaging and process development, and growth through innovation. Given the level of engagement and ideation, this role is on-site and remote options are not available.



Responsibilities:

Strategic R&D Leadership:

  • Develop and execute a forward-thinking R&D strategy aligned with the company’s vision.
  • Build the right capabilities to deliver delicious and health-credentialed foods.
  • Balance innovation with the optimization of existing products.

Product, Process and Packaging Development and Enhancement:

  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams (marketing, sales, supply chain, procurement, etc.) to create compelling food offerings and to scale them to full operation.
  • Ensure ingredients, product recipes, process and packaging design are well defined to create the right solutions for consumers and customers, that is cost efficient and scalable.
  • Mitigate potential challenges related to taste, texture, shelf life, and scalability.
  • Lead the entire Product Lifecycle Management from an R&D standpoint.
  • Lead quality improvements to existing products based on consumer feedback, market trends, and technological advancements.
  • Support business continuity through ingredient and material expertise, working on alternative materials and suppliers.
  • Support supply chain in troubleshooting as well as strategic projects.

Quality and Regulatory Compliance:

  • Ensures that all food products and processing are designed to meet quality and food safety standards and comply with safety regulations.
  • Work closely with the Quality and Food Safety Director to support the quality strategy and quality management.
  • Ensure accurate and compliant labeling of food products, including claims, ingredient lists, nutrition facts, and allergen information.
  • Coordinate the submission of product registrations to regulatory authorities.
  • Respond to regulatory changes and builds foresight on upcoming regulatory challenges.

Innovation and Trendspotting:

  • Stay abreast of food industry trends, emerging ingredients, and culinary innovations.
  • Ensure both our consumers and customers are at the heart of our products, delivering on their pain points and working through innovation to address them.
  • Foster a culture of creativity and experimentation within the R&D team.
  • Champion breakthrough ideas that resonate with consumers and customers.
  • Advocate for healthy foods, nurturing and evolving existing product and claims guardrails.
  • Promote solutions around sustainable products and packaging.

Cost Optimization and Efficiency:

  • Optimize processes to enhance efficiency without compromising quality.
  • Evaluate the feasibility of new ingredients and technologies.

Team Leadership and Development:

  • Inspire and mentor a diverse team of scientists and technicians.
  • Foster a collaborative environment where ideas flourish.
  • Encourage professional growth and skill development.

Collaboration with External Partners:

  • Work closely with suppliers, research institutions, and industry experts.
  • Collaborate with suppliers and other partners to identify ingredients and technologies that can bring differentiation to our portfolio.


Qualifications:

Education:

  • Bachelor’s or master’s degree in food science, Food Technology, Culinary Arts, or a related field. A combination of culinary and science background is highly desired.

Experience:

  • Minimum 8- 10 years in R&D leadership roles.
  • Proven track record in food product development and innovation.
  • Trained Chef with 5+ years of hands-on experience in a full-service restaurant, preferably Michelin starred.
  • Breadth of knowledge spanning recipes, ingredients, nutrition, packaging and processing across different technologies but especially in thermo-processed products and meat components.
  • Strong understanding of food safety, regulatory compliance, and quality management.

Skills:

  • Strong leadership and communication skills.
  • Creative problem-solving, adaptability, and a passion for culinary innovation.
  • Excellent project management skills and ability to lead cross-functional teams.
  • Analytical mindset with a passion for creativity and a bias towards agility.
  • Business acumen and budget management abilities.


Healthy, Diverse Teams Breed Innovation:

Kevin’s Natural Foods is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We deeply believe that diverse backgrounds and experiences make better teams, and we seek to attract talent from all walks of life. The team at Kevin’s is smart, humble, and passionate and we value a work environment that fosters personal development and opportunities to move within our small, but quickly growing organization.


What’s Cooking at Kevin’s Natural Foods:

Kevin’s Natural Foods is a line of healthy entrées, sides, sauces, and seasoning blends, on a mission to make clean eating delicious and accessible. Kevin’s guilt-free, sous-vide entrées and sides, and signature certified paleo, keto, and gluten-free sauces allow health-conscious home cooks to whip up delicious meals in five minutes or less. With restaurant-quality ingredients and recipes, Kevin’s products are readily available on the shelves at leading grocery retailers nationwide including Costco, Whole Foods, Albertsons, HEB and Publix. All Kevin’s products contain no refined sugar, artificial ingredients, grains, or soy, and are made with antibiotic- and hormone-free meat. A true market disruptor, Kevin’s Natural Foods is the first clean refrigerated entrée brand. For more information, please visit www.kevinsnaturalfoods.com.

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