R&D Manager, Sprint Team
About The Position
The R&D Manager, Sprint Team at Kevin’s Natural Foods serves as the primary point of contact and project lead for Costco product development initiatives. The position drives the rapid development and launch of new Costco products, coordinates cross-functional teams, and ensures timelines align with customer expectations and business objectives. It is based in the company’s Test Kitchen in Stockton, California, and is full-time and on-site, with travel up to 30% to support Costco business initiatives. The role brings structure, urgency, and accountability to product innovation and commercialization for Costco, Kevin’s Natural Foods’ priority customer. The manager partners with Procurement, Innovation, Sales, Commercialization, Operations, and Costco buyers to move projects from concept and feasibility through formulation, commercialization, scale-up, production readiness, and launch. The position balances speed to market with the company’s standards for product quality, food safety, nutritional requirements, and clean-label commitments.
Requirements
- Passion for delivering safe, high-quality, delicious food products to Kevin’s Natural Foods consumers.
- Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Business, Supply Chain, Project Management, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
- At least 5 years of experience leading complex, cross-functional projects in food manufacturing, consumer packaged goods, product development, or commercialization.
- Demonstrated success managing accelerated product development timelines and delivering projects in a fast-paced, customer-driven environment.
- Strong understanding of the product development lifecycle, including concept development, formulation, ingredient sourcing, commercialization, and product launch.
- Experience working with major retail customers and managing customer-driven product development initiatives.
- Strong project management skills, including timeline development, milestone tracking, risk identification, resource coordination, and stakeholder accountability.
- Ability to influence and align cross-functional stakeholders without direct reporting authority.
- Strong business acumen and ability to balance customer expectations, product feasibility, cost targets, and internal resource constraints.
- Excellent communication, organization, and problem-solving skills, including effective communication with leadership, cross-functional teams, and external customers.
- Working knowledge of food safety, quality standards, regulatory requirements, and food manufacturing processes.
- Ability to identify process gaps, resolve challenges, and drive continuous improvement in a rapidly changing environment.
- Ability to travel up to 30% to support Costco business initiatives.
Nice To Haves
- Experience working with Costco.
Responsibilities
- Serve as the primary point of contact for Costco product development initiatives and maintain communication and alignment between internal stakeholders and Costco buyers.
- Coordinate Costco product development projects end to end, from concept and feasibility through formulation, commercialization, and launch.
- Establish and manage project timelines, milestones, deliverables, and priorities to keep initiatives progressing efficiently and meet customer expectations.
- Drive collaboration across R&D, Procurement, Innovation, Sales, and Commercialization to remove roadblocks and maintain momentum.
- Translate Costco customer requests and business needs into actionable development plans, aligning stakeholders on specifications, timelines, and launch requirements.
- Partner with Procurement to evaluate ingredient availability, product feasibility, formulation requirements, and costs.
- Coordinate with Commercialization and Operations on product scale-up, production readiness, and timely launches.
- Collaborate with Sales and Costco buyers to clarify expectations, gather feedback, and align development with commercial opportunities.
- Balance speed to market with company standards for product quality, food safety, nutritional requirements, and clean-label commitments.
- Perform other duties as assigned or necessary.
Benefits
- Benefits are offered; specific benefits are not listed.
- Bonus compensation is offered.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
