Product Development Manager

AMERICAN POP CORN COMPANY CORP • Sioux City, IA

7d • Onsite

About The Position

The Product Development Manager leads the development, formulation, improvement, and commercialization of JOLLY TIME and other American Pop Corn Company products, with particular emphasis on microwave popcorn. The role translates product concepts into scalable manufacturing processes that meet consumer, customer, operational, and cost expectations.

The manager oversees projects from concept and bench formulation through plant trials, commercialization, and launch; develops and maintains product formulations; and works with production to refine process parameters and resolve performance issues. The role coordinates scale-up and launch readiness, maintains recipes and product setup information in the ERP, and assesses product performance, sensory attributes, shelf life, packaging interactions, and production feasibility.

The position manages an innovation pipeline, evaluates ingredients, packaging, suppliers, and product improvements, and coordinates with Quality, Purchasing, Marketing, Sales, and Production. It also leads, coaches, and develops the Product Development Specialist and promotes repeatable product-development practices.

The work takes place in both an office setting and a manufacturing facility. The role involves collaboration and hands-on manufacturing-facility tasks, with adherence to GMPs and production protocols. Working hours outside standard office hours may be required. The physical demands include periods of sitting, standing, and mobility, with occasional lifting of supplies typically not exceeding 20 pounds.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in food science, chemistry, or a related discipline.
• Significant progressive experience in food product or process development in a manufacturing environment.
• Hands-on formulation experience with fats, oils, and ingredient functionality.
• Demonstrated experience launching products from bench through commercial production.
• Experience mentoring or supervising technical staff.
• Strong leadership, technical knowledge, and problem-solving skills.
• Solid understanding of food science, ingredient functionality, product formulation, packaging, and manufacturing processes.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple initiatives, prioritize resources, and meet deadlines.
• Creativity, analytical thinking, and sound decision-making while balancing product quality, cost, customer expectations, and production capabilities.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for collaboration across departments.
• Ability to lead and develop employees, embrace change, identify continuous-improvement opportunities, and support company innovation and TACT Core Values.

Nice To Haves

• Microwave popcorn, snack foods, or shelf-stable product experience.
• Experience with mixing, blending, slurry systems, and statistical process control.
• ERP recipe and bill-of-materials experience.
• Intellectual property exposure.
• HACCP and FSMA familiarity.

Responsibilities

• Manage new-product and product-improvement projects from concept and bench formulation through plant trials, commercialization, and launch.
• Develop and maintain formulations involving kernels, fats, oils, flavors, seasonings, slurry systems, and ingredient functionality.
• Establish and refine mixing, blending, and other critical processing parameters; troubleshoot formula and process performance with production.
• Coordinate plant trials, production scale-up, launch readiness, and documented handoffs to Operations and Quality.
• Maintain accurate recipes, bills of materials, and item/formula setup information in the ERP with appropriate departments.
• Evaluate product performance, popping results, sensory attributes, shelf life, packaging interactions, and production feasibility.
• Manage a prioritized product innovation pipeline aligned with commercial strategy, customer opportunities, and plant capabilities.
• Research and evaluate ingredients, packaging, alternative suppliers, and cost or performance improvements in coordination with Purchasing and Quality.
• Participate in innovation leadership and business development discussions; identify potential intellectual property risks or opportunities and coordinate appropriate review.
• Partner with Quality on allergen and regulatory reviews, specifications, labeling inputs, product validation, and food safety approval before launch.
• Coordinate with Marketing, Sales, Purchasing, and Production on customer requirements, launch schedules, costs, and supply feasibility.
• Lead, coach, and develop the Product Development Specialist; assign priorities and support experimentation, documentation, and technical problem-solving.
• Document project results and promote repeatable bench-to-line development practices.
• Maintain standards of safety, quality, and sanitation and identify opportunities to solve problems, improve processes, and increase efficiency.

Benefits

• Free family health insurance, including a major medical plan with full coverage.
• Free family dental insurance.
• Vision insurance.
• 401(k) with a 4% match.
• Six paid holidays.
• Paid time off (PTO).
• Referral bonus.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager