Job Description

About:

Alexander Steele have exclusively partnered with a highly innovative, industry leading food ingredients manufacturer that specialize in producing a variety of premium, custom-crafted foodstuffs for foodservice, industrial, private label & retail markets.

As they rapidly scale their business across North America, we are actively searching for a Research & Dev. Commercialization Manager to be a key part of their product team in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The R&D Commercialization Manager will spearhead the journey of new products from initial concept through production and launch, with a focus on continuous improvement. This role requires a strong foundation in food science, technical problem-solving abilities, and communication skills.

Reporting to the VP of Culinary (Direct), Director of Project Management (Dotted - Line) & Director of R&D (Dotted - Line).

Responsibilities :

• Craft innovative taste, texture, and functionality solutions for the company's restaurant and foodservice clients.
• Develop close partnerships with Sales, Culinary/R&D, Quality, Operations, Procurement, and customer teams, addressing all aspects of formulations, processes, packaging, shelf-life, storage, specifications, and ingredient substitutions or changes.
• Collaborate with flavor houses and ingredient suppliers to craft innovative, on-trend flavor profiles.
• Stay current on food trends, consumer preferences, and emerging technologies to identify new product opportunities.
• Generate and refine prototypes to support internal reviews and customer presentations.
• Manage all aspects of commercialization including formulation, ingredient approvals, process development, shelf-life, packaging, and specification creation.
• Oversee and support plant trials, production start-ups, and early runs to ensure product quality, sensory expectations, and consistency.
• Conduct feasibility assessments, scale-up evaluations, shelf-life testing, labelling verification, and specification development.
• Ensure seamless transition of new concepts into production by managing risk, driving problem resolution, and ensuring cross-functional alignment.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, or related field
• Minimum 5+ years of direct experience in food product development with food service channel experience focused on collaborating with restaurant chain R&D and culinary teams.
• Experience working in manufacturing factories, R&D labs, & pilot plants.
• Experience in products with a wide variety of applications.
• Strong understanding of food processing, packaging, shelf-life, and regulatory requirements (FDA, USDA).
• Technical experience in elevating product differentiation through flavors.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office 365, ERP systems, and strong math skills.
• HACCP certified (or willing to complete within 90 days).

We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status. We believe that diversity enriches our company and helps us better serve our customers and communities.

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