Product Developer

Nature•Edwardsville, KS

10d•Onsite

About The Position

At Nature's Touch, you're not just building a career; you're joining a trailblazing team that believes in the power of collaboration, diversity, and continuous learning. Since 2004, we've been on a fast-growing journey from a small startup to a global leader in private-label frozen food manufacturing. With modern facilities across North America - including two plants in the U.S. and one in Mexico - we proudly supply millions of households worldwide. What drives us is simple: a commitment to quality, innovation, and sustainability. We're shaping the future of frozen fruit - and we'd love for you to be part of that growth. At Nature's Touch, growth opportunities are everywhere! The Opportunity Reporting to the Senior Product Developer, the Product Developer is a new role supporting our growing innovation footprint at the Edwardsville, Kansas plant. You'll own the industrialization and commercialization of our light coating line, from recipe development through first production runs. You'll also be the technical checkpoint for incoming raw materials and finished goods, making sure every batch meets Nature's Touch quality and food safety standards. Working closely with Production, Quality, and the broader Product Development team, you'll bring new products to life and keep the coating platform running at its best.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field
3-5 years of experience in product development, industrialization, or quality within food manufacturing
Required: hands-on experience with coating technologies (powder, oil, batter, or wet coatings) and coating science (viscosity, adhesion, coverage, yield)
Required: experience supporting production trials, first productions, or product launches
Solid understanding of GMP, food safety, and quality control principles, including reviewing raw material and finished goods specifications
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel
Proven experience leveraging AI tools in your daily work to drive efficiency and better results
Problem-solver with a strong leadership presence on the production floor
Organized and detail-oriented, able to manage multiple priorities
Clear communicator, comfortable working cross-functionally
Fluent in English (written and verbal)

Nice To Haves

Experience in frozen foods, confectionery, snacks, or other coating-intensive categories is an asset
experience with TraceGains or Smartsheet is an asset

Responsibilities

Develop, test, and refine new coating recipes (powders, oils, batters, wet coatings) to meet target sensory, functional, and cost profiles
Run bench-top and pilot-scale trials to validate new formulations before scale-up
Evaluate new ingredients, technologies, and coating techniques to expand the platform's capabilities
Translate customer and market briefs into workable recipe concepts
Document formulations, trial results, and specifications in a clear, reproducible format
Set up, organize, and maintain your own lab space, equipment, and supplies to support recipe development and testing
Own the industrialization of the light coating line, translating lab-approved recipes into scalable production processes
Lead or support first productions and product launches for all products launched at the plant, not limited to the coating line, troubleshooting in real time as needed
Develop and maintain SOPs, control plans, and technical documentation for new and existing products
Partner with Production, Engineering, and Quality to resolve scale-up issues and optimize line performance
Coordinate launch timelines with cross-functional stakeholders to ensure on-time, on-spec commercialization
Review and approve incoming raw materials against specifications before use in production
Conduct quality reviews of finished goods to verify they meet sensory, physical, and food safety standards
Flag and investigate non-conformances, working with Quality and suppliers on corrective actions
Maintain accurate records to support traceability, audits, and continuous improvement
Support and promote food safety and compliance programs (GMP, HACCP, SQF, etc.)
Coordinate and ship product samples internally and externally, including customer requests
Source competitor and benchmark products from local retailers for evaluation and comparison