Senior Manager, R&D Pet Food - Wet

Job Responsibilities

• Lead the development of wet pet food products including: Complete & balanced diets, Complementary/topper products, Functional nutrition products, Treats and specialty formulations.
• Develop formulations aligned with: AAFCO nutrient profiles, NRC recommendations, FDA/CVM regulations, Customer and retailer requirements.
• Evaluate novel proteins, seafood ingredients, functional inclusions and emerging nutrition trends.
• Serve as technical lead for wet pet food manufacturing processes including: Retort systems, Thermal processing, Sterilization validation, Emulsion systems, Mixing and batching, Filling and seaming, Texture and viscosity management.
• Troubleshoot production, quality, formulation, and process-related issues.
• Collaborate with operations teams on continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support new production line commissioning and optimization.
• Support customer technical documentation and specification management.

Qualifications

• Education: Required Bachelor’s degree in Animal Nutrition, Food Science, Pet Food Science, Meat Science, Chemical Engineering, Biological Sciences or related field. Master’s Degree, PhD highly preferred for candidates leading advanced formulation, nutritional research, or innovation initiatives.
• Experience: 7+ years of experience in pet food R&D, preferably with wet pet food expertise. Understanding of: Wet pet food processing, Pet food formulation systems, Ingredient functionality, Commercial manufacturing environments. Experience taking products from concept through commercialization. Retort technology preferred. Familiar with AAFCO regulations. Strong cross-functional communication and project leadership skills. Experience with seafood or tuna-based formulations. Experience in OEM/private label manufacturing environments. Familiarity with North American retail and e-commerce pet food channels. Experience managing external laboratories, feeding studies and co-manufacturing partners. Understanding premium pet nutrition trends and functional ingredients.

About the Role

Support, build and scale a differentiated wet pet food business focused on premium feline nutrition. This role will lead the development of innovative wet pet food products from concept through commercialization while serving as a cross-functional technical expert across formulation, processing, regulatory compliance, ingredient sourcing, packaging, manufacturing, quality and commercialization.

Possess deep knowledge of the North American pet food industry and be comfortable operating in a fast-moving entrepreneurial environment where both OEM/private label and branded product development are priorities. Build a nutrition-first wet pet food platform centered around tuna-based formulations, ingredient integrity, manufacturing excellence, and long-term category differentiation.