R&D Manager Original Foods Limited — Dunnville, ON
Original Foods Limited is a single-site food manufacturer producing confectionery, syrups, RTD beverages, frozen smoothies, fruit fillings, jams, sauces, broth, specialty food products and cones. We are looking for a hands-on R&D Manager to lead our product development function and also support other departments with strong technical expertise.
Responsibilities
- Lead and manage a team of 3 (2 Senior Product Developers, 1 Technician)
- Work closely with our Innovation & NPD Project Manager to align R&D output with project timelines and commercialization plans
- Own new product development and formulation from concept through commercialization
- Develop and refine production processes alongside formulation work, not formulation in isolation
- Define and track QC metrics to ensure formulations and processes hold up consistently at scale
- Scale up formulations from bench to full production, hands-on through trials and startup
- Ensure formulations and processes meet regulatory requirements (CFIA, labelling, allergen management)
- Provide technical support to process engineering and QA as needed
- Evaluate ingredients, suppliers, and equipment from a formulation standpoint
Requirements
- Degree in Food Science, Chemistry, or related field
- 5+ years in food manufacturing R&D
- Experience managing or mentoring technical staff
- Working knowledge of HACCP/SQF and Canadian food regulatory requirements
- Thorough and meticulous approach to formulation, process, and documentation work
- Appetite for leveraging AI tools to support R&D work (research, data analysis, documentation)
- Comfortable being hands-on — this is a lab-and-plant-floor role
Reports to: President
Pay: $90,000.00-$140,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
