Sr. Associate, R&D

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.•Mountville, PA

41d•$69,000 - $73,500•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Associate, Research & Development supports the development, optimization, and commercialization of new and existing products across the snack category within Hain Celestial's portfolio. This role contributes to innovation, renovation, quality improvement, and productivity initiatives, ensuring that all products meet technical, regulatory, and quality standards while aligning with business objectives.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, or a related field.
Minimum of 2-3 years of experience in product development, preferably in a Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) environment.
Demonstrated experience with plant trials and bench formulation.
Strong self management, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook).

Nice To Haves

Strong experience with running plant trials.
Working knowledge the fried or extruded snack category, including better for you ingredients.
Proficiency with data analysis.
Familiarity with food labeling and certification processes (USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project, etc.)

Responsibilities

Partner with cross-functional teams-including Marketing, Operations, Procurement, and Quality-to execute product development projects from concept to commercialization through Hain's commercialization process (e.g., Stage-Gate), ensuring timely delivery of technical milestones.
Independently conduct bench-top formulation and prototype development to test and refine product concepts.
Plan and execute with appropriate supervision: plant trials, scale-ups, and start-ups. Ensures successful technical transfer from R&D to manufacturing with internal plants and co-manufacturing partners.
Accountable for the preparation of benchtop prototypes and samples. Maintenance of accurate R&D batch records and follows lab GMPs. Partners with internal plants and external vendors to acquire ingredients and materials in a timely manner.
Collaborate with Process Engineering, Quality, and Regulatory to develop product specifications, operating parameters, technical documentation, and food safety compliance (HACCP, SQF).
Identify and support cost savings and process improvement initiatives, including ingredient, process, and packaging optimization.
Supports analytical method refinement and coordinates nutritional and component analysis onsite and with external labs.Maintain up-to-date knowledge of category trends, emerging ingredients, and processing technologies relevant to assigned projects.Conducts competitive analysis and runs internal gold standard assessments.
Work cross-functionally with supplier quality assurance and regulatory to ensure the acquisition of all necessary support documentation for certifications and regulatory compliance (e.g., organic, kosher, non-GMO, allergen, labeling).
Organizes internal sensory evaluations, including ballot creation, sample preparation, and data analysis.
Maintain accurate project records, formulations, specifications, and reports.
Build and sustain strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners (e.g., suppliers, co-manufacturers).
Support multiple projects simultaneously while ensuring quality, timeliness, and adherence to business priorities. Ability to pivot / reprioritize projects as needed.
Support sustainability and ingredient transparency goals through responsible sourcing and formulation choices.