R&D Specialist

Richelieu Foods • Wheeling, IL

2d • $65,000 - $77,000

About The Position

At Richelieu Foods, we are dedicated to a culture of belonging for everyone. Driven by our values of ownership, respect, and growth, we put people, safety, and quality above all else -- delicious pizza, outstanding service, and solid customer relationships are what happens as a result!
Richelieu Foods, Inc. is a leading national private label and contract packing food manufacturer focused on frozen pizza. We have two manufacturing facilities located in IL and WI. We provide products to many national retailers, wholesalers, distributors, club and mass stores, as well as industrial accounts including other food manufacturers.
We have a brand-new position as a Research & Development Specialist to join our innovative Food R&D Team in our Wheeling, IL corporate offices.

Requirements

• Preferred experience in using Genesis R&D Food Development & Label Software to generate nutritional information for labeling.
• An understanding of Federal, State, Local laws and regulations of finished good products and FDA label requirements.
• Solid understanding of and passion for food, chemistry, analytical testing, formulations, and processing in food manufacturing.
• Keen knowledge in the use of functional ingredients and in food formulation, preferably in the clean/all-natural product space.
• Bachelor’s degree in food science, Certified Research Chef or equivalent work experience
• 2+ years’ experience in technical functions. Experience in frozen and refrigerated foods preferred.

Responsibilities

• Aid in the development of new products, by applying scientific principles to pizza and meal engineering. Lead all NPD work and formula changes for select customers with specific focus on NBE equivalent and cost savings.
• Reformulate existing products for cost, nutrition and quality optimization utilizing sensory and regulatory data
• Partner with Procurement on cost reduction efforts
• Create and update internal specification sheets for finished goods.
• Develop and maintain accurate records of laboratory work, including formula, ingredients used, and cooking/processing procedures.
• Aid in the development of processing and technical requirements needed for scale up. Lead process in trial and first production run product evaluations and approvals.
• Translate research findings into meaningful business opportunities and communicate to cross-functional teams.
• Conduct shelf-life, sensory and panel tasting, product performance, and quality attribute testing of meals as part of the development process.
• Conduct bakery experiments as needed with internal and external products.

Benefits

• Benefits for this role include medical, dental, and vision insurance, pre-tax spending accounts, retirement benefits, paid time off, 401K with company match, short-term and long-term disability, and life insurance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees