R&D Bread Specialist

CJ Foodville USA Inc•Commerce, CA

8d•$31 - $38•Onsite

About The Position

The Bread R&D Specialist is responsible for developing new bakery products, improving existing products, managing product quality, and supporting commercialization. This role is involved throughout the entire product development lifecycle, from concept development and testing to production implementation, launch, and post-launch quality management. Working closely with cross-functional teams, the Bread R&D Specialist helps ensure product quality and consistency while developing products that align with brand strategy, operational capabilities, and cost targets.

Requirements

Degree or formal training in Baking and Pastry Arts, Food Science, Food Engineering, or a related field.
Professional experience in bakery product development, manufacturing, or quality management.
Knowledge of ingredients and manufacturing processes for bread, frozen dough, and RTB products.
Ability to prepare prototypes, conduct formulation and process testing, analyze results, and maintain organized technical documentation.
Strong cross-functional communication and collaboration skills.
Ability to travel within the United States as required.

Nice To Haves

Experience developing sweet breads, buns, donuts, frozen dough, or commercially produced bakery products.
Experience using flour and dough analysis equipment.
Experience with OEM product development or external supplier quality management.
Basic knowledge of U.S. food safety, allergen, and labeling requirements.
Professional working proficiency in both Korean and English.

Responsibilities

Develop new products, primarily in the sweet bread and donut categories, across imported frozen dough, Georgia plant-manufactured products, RTB products, and locally sourced OEM products.
Develop new applications and product variations using existing dough platforms.
Prepare product prototypes and conduct formulation, process, sensory, and quality evaluations.
Research market trends and competitor products and propose new product concepts.
Evaluate the quality, consistency, and production feasibility of new and existing products.
Use analytical equipment to evaluate the characteristics of flour, dough, and finished products and interpret test results.
Identify quality variations and defects in imported frozen dough and finished products and support corrective actions.
Lead quality improvement, product renewal, and specification optimization projects for existing products.
Evaluate alternative ingredients when ingredient changes or supply issues occur and conduct testing to improve formulation, mixing, proofing, baking, and frozen-storage stability.
Support pilot testing, production implementation, store launches, and post-launch improvements.
Review ingredient and manufacturing costs and optimize formulations and product specifications to meet target costs.
Collaborate with Marketing, Supply Chain, and Procurement to support product launches, ingredient sourcing, supplier management, and the communication of product information.
Provide technical support related to product quality and manufacturing processes at the Georgia plant and store locations.
Create and maintain product formulations, manufacturing procedures, product specifications, test records, store manuals, training materials, and quality evaluation standards.
Document product testing and quality evaluation results and communicate findings to relevant departments.
Support training for Production, Quality Control, and store teams on new product preparation procedures and quality standards.
Ensure compliance with applicable food safety, allergen, and internal documentation requirements throughout the product development process.