Research and Development Specialist

FPL FOOD, LLC • Augusta, GA

1d

About The Position

The Research and Development (R&D) Specialist is responsible for the development, improvement, and commercialization of value-added beef products within a further processing manufacturing environment. This role applies food and meat science principles to product formulation, process optimization, yield improvement, and cost control while ensuring regulatory compliance. The R&D Specialist works cross-functionally with Operations, Quality Assurance, Sales, and Supply Chain to bring innovative, high-quality beef products from concept to production.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Meat Science, Animal Science, or a related field (or equivalent hands-on industry experience).
• 2–5 years of experience in meat processing, preferably beef further processing.
• Strong working knowledge of applied food and meat science, including protein functionality, ingredient interactions, and thermal processing.
• Experience designing and evaluating product and process trials.
• Working knowledge of USDA/FSIS regulations and HACCP principles.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Nice To Haves

• Experience developing value-added beef products (marinated, RTE, RTC, or seasoned).
• Familiarity with functional ingredients such as salts, phosphates, binders, antioxidants, and flavor systems.
• Experience in yield optimization and shelf-life improvement.
• Experience working in a USDA-inspected facility.
• Project management experience within a manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop new value-added beef products including marinated, seasoned, portioned, cooked, or ready-to-cook items using sound food and meat science principles.
• Formulate and reformulate products to improve yield, texture, flavor, shelf life, and cost efficiency, applying knowledge of protein functionality, water-binding systems, pH control, and ingredient interactions.
• Design and conduct controlled bench-top, pilot, and production-scale trials.
• Develop seasoning blends, marinades, injections, and coatings specific to beef products.
• Conduct sensory evaluations and correlate results with formulation and processing variables.
• Collaborate with Sales and Marketing to translate customer requirements into technically feasible product solutions.
• Support scale-up of new products from R&D through full commercial production.
• Optimize processing parameters including tumbling, marination, thermal processing, slicing, and packaging.
• Apply scientific analysis to reduce cook loss, purge, and variability while improving consistency and throughput.
• Troubleshoot production issues related to formulation, texture, appearance, or flavor using data-driven root cause analysis.
• Ensure all products comply with USDA, FSIS, HACCP, and labeling requirements.
• Partner with Quality Assurance to validate processes, conduct shelf-life and lethality studies, and support product approvals.
• Maintain scientific and technical documentation including formulas, specifications, SOPs, and trial reports.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret data related to yields, ingredient performance, processing conditions, and finished product quality.
• Utilize basic statistical tools and scientific methods to evaluate trial outcomes and process improvements.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives through measurable, data-supported results.
• Work closely with Operations to ensure successful product launches and smooth production transitions.
• Collaborate with Procurement on ingredient sourcing, functional ingredient evaluation, and cost optimization.
• Support customer presentations, product samples, and technical discussions as needed.

What This Job Offers

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