R&D Manager, Sprint Team

Kevin's Natural Foods•Stockton, CA

2d•Onsite

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 role drives rapid development and launch of new Costco products, coordinates cross-functional teams, and ensures development timelines align with customer expectations and business objectives. Costco is identified as Kevin’s Natural Foods’ priority customer, requiring a focused and agile approach to product innovation and commercialization. The manager brings structure, urgency, and accountability to initiatives by partnering with Procurement, Innovation, Sales, Commercialization, and Costco buyers to move projects from concept through launch. This is a full-time, on-site position located in Kevin’s Natural Foods’ Test Kitchen in Stockton, California. Travel of up to 30% is required to support Costco business initiatives.

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 the ability to communicate with internal 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, maintaining communication and alignment between internal stakeholders and Costco buyers.
Manage end-to-end coordination of Costco product development projects, from concept and feasibility through formulation, commercialization, and launch.
Establish and manage project timelines, milestones, deliverables, and priorities to ensure initiatives progress efficiently and meet customer expectations.
Drive cross-functional collaboration across R&D, Procurement, Innovation, Sales, and Commercialization to remove roadblocks and maintain development momentum.
Translate Costco customer requests and business needs into actionable product development plans, aligned on specifications, timelines, and launch requirements.
Partner with Procurement to evaluate ingredient availability, product feasibility, formulation requirements, and cost considerations.
Coordinate with Commercialization and Operations to support product scale-up, production readiness, and timely launches.
Collaborate with Sales and Costco buyers to clarify customer expectations, gather feedback, and align development efforts 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.