Title: R&D Specialist (Food)
Location: Addison, IL
Hire Type: Direct Hire
Compensation: $65k - $80k
Job Summary
The R&D Specialist supports the development, testing, and commercialization of fully cooked meat products. This role plays a key part in product formulation, trial execution, and cross-functional collaboration to ensure products meet quality, safety, and performance standards. The ideal candidate brings strong hands-on experience in food manufacturing, meat processing, and recipe development for scalable production environments.
Responsibilities
Assist in developing new fully cooked meat products from concept through commercialization.
Prepare and conduct product trials including batching, cooking, packaging, and evaluating trial outcomes.
Perform sensory and quality evaluations to ensure consistency in taste, texture, and overall product performance.
Collaborate with production, quality assurance, marketing, and other cross-functional teams to achieve project objectives.
Maintain detailed and accurate documentation of formulations, trial procedures, test results, and adjustments.
Troubleshoot production or formulation issues and refine products as needed.
Conduct shelf-life testing and evaluate product stability over time.
Ensure all R&D activities comply with USDA, FDA, HACCP, and internal food safety standards.
Stay informed on new industry technologies, ingredients, and trends to support innovation initiatives.
Prepare and present product samples to customers, highlighting key features, benefits, and performance attributes.
Skills & Requirements
Degree or certification in Culinary Arts, Food Science, or equivalent relevant experience required.
3–5 years of hands-on experience in food processing or food manufacturing; experience with meat or protein products strongly preferred.
Experience in food product development, including formulation creation and recipe testing for scalable or commercial production.
Strong understanding of food science principles, processing equipment, and ingredient functionality.
Ability to accurately document recipes, measurements, processes, and changes for consistency and reproducibility.
Strong creativity and innovation skills with the ability to develop new concepts that are feasible for production.
Ability to conduct sensory evaluations, including tasting a wide variety of meat products.
Familiarity with food safety programs such as HACCP, GMP, and USDA/FDA regulations.
Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to confidently demonstrate products to customers and internal teams.
We are looking for a full time cleaning aide for our offices in Miramar to perform general cleaning tasks like sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming floors; dusting and polishing surfaces; and emptying trash and recycling bins. Responsibilities also cover thorough cleaning ...
..., transporting and moving parts within the plant to ensure the production line has the correct parts in a timely manner Perform general warehouse duties as necessary ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment and show problem-solving...
Our client, a children's accessories company, is looking for a Jr. Graphic Designer to join their team in NYC! Responsibilities Assist in the design and execution of graphics for kids accessories and packaging across multiple product categories Create production...
DEDICATED CDL-A DRIVER ODESSA, TX $1,500 AVG WEEKLY | HOME WEEKLY | SOLO We're now hiring experienced CDL-A drivers for a dedicated account based out of Odessa, TX . This position offers steady freight, strong weekly pay, and consistent home time ideal for ...
...Our client, a Fortune 1000 Company, is seeking an experience Database Administrator to join their growing team. This role will involve ensuring all databases are highly available, while enhancing corporate business applications. This is a long term contract position that...