Research And Development Manager

About the role

The R&D Manager at Kevin’s Natural Foods plays a critical role in driving the innovation and development of our clean-label product portfolio. This role is responsible for leading the Product Development team, overseeing the commercialization process from concept to production, and ensuring new and optimized products meet our high-quality, nutritious, and flavorful standards. This position combines technical expertise in food science with strategic leadership, project management, and cross-functional collaboration to support Kevin’s mission: empowering even the busiest people to eat clean without sacrificing flavor.

What You’ll Do

• Lead, mentor, and develop an R&D product development team, fostering a culture of innovation, curiosity, and accountability.
• Oversee all aspects of new product development from ideation, recipe creation, pilot production, scale-up, and commercialization.
• Drive project prioritization, resource allocation, and timelines to ensure efficient and successful product launches.
• Lead recipe formulation, costing, ingredient sourcing, and process optimization while maintaining compliance with SQF, USDA, and other certifications.
• Collaborate with nutritionists, QA/QC, and culinary teams to ensure products meet nutritional, sensory, and safety standards.
• Evaluate and implement emerging food trends, new ingredients, and innovative processing techniques.
• Work cross-functionally to set the strategic vision for product innovation, aligning new concepts with company goals, consumer trends, and competitive insights.
• Partner with Marketing, Sales, and Brand teams to support product launches, packaging, development, and marketing campaigns.
• Serve as the primary R&D liaison for label approvals (GFCO/Paleo/NGPV/USDA) and regulatory compliance.
• Establish and maintain robust R&D processes, documentation standards, and best practices.
• Troubleshoot production issues, monitor consistency and quality, and optimize manufacturing processes.
• Maintain detailed records in recipe/formula systems, ensuring accuracy and reproducibility.
• Other duties as assigned to support the growth and evolution of Kevin’s Natural Foods.

What You’ll Need

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Nutrition, or Culinary School certification; advanced degree a plus.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in food product development in a manufacturing environment, with at least 2 years in a leadership role.
• Deep knowledge of ingredient functionality, flavor development, sensory evaluation, and clean-label product development.
• Strong understanding of food science principles, GMP, HACCP, food safety, and regulatory compliance.
• Proven experience managing teams, projects, and cross-functional initiatives in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and project management skills.
• Experience with paleo/keto or specialized dietary products is a strong plus.
• Proficiency with nutritional software, quality systems, spreadsheets, and lab documentation.