R&D Product Development Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

At Häns Kissle, we strive to cultivate moments with delicious food that inspire happiness, any time, anywhere. Founded in 1984, Häns Kissle began as the regional commissary for a small, high-end grocery chain in New England, MA, crafting fresh, upscale prepared foods and deli salads. Today we have two manufacturing facilities in Massachusetts and North Carolina. Our goal is to become a North American leader in fresh prepared foods, serving all channels of distribution.

Position Overview

The Product Development Specialist plays a key role in developing & commercializing new food products, optimizing food manufacturing processes, enhancing product quality, and ensuring compliance with food safety standards. Acting as a critical bridge between R&D innovation and production operations, the ideal candidate is a hands-on problem solver with a background in food science, process engineering , and continuous improvement methodologies .

Key Responsibilities

Process Optimization & Innovation

• Analyze current manufacturing processes to identify inefficiencies and improvement opportunities.
• Lead SKU rationalization efforts across ingredients, recipes, and finished goods to reduce complexity and identify cost‑savings opportunities while ensuring product quality and compliance.
• Develop and evaluate formulations, ingredient specifications, and production processes.
• Lead trials and validations for new processing methods, technologies, and ingredients.
• Preparation of concept products on R&D bench, and graduation of concepts to manufacturing environment. Hands-on involvement in the preparation and distribution of customer samples.
• Partner with cross-functional teams (QA, Operations, Engineering) to implement scalable and sustainable solutions.
• Develop and update SOPs and process control parameters to ensure product consistency and regulatory compliance.

Data-Driven Improvements

• Analyze and interpret production data to assess performance, yield, and quality, and communicate insights and recommendations to the team.

• Apply statistical tools (e.g., root cause analysis, SPC) to diagnose process issues and implement corrective actions.
• Support cost-reduction and waste minimization initiatives with a cross functional team through innovative process design.

Product Development Support

• Assist in the development of new food products from concept through commercialization, ensuring alignment with company goals, market needs, and consumer preferences.
• Lead the creation and ongoing improvement of product specification sheets, partnering cross‑functionally to ensure all product attributes, formulations, and requirements are accurately documented.
• Facilitate the transition of new formulations from lab-scale to full production.
• Evaluate ingredient performance and ensure compatibility with current manufacturing systems.
• Align process changes with sensory, nutritional, and regulatory expectations.

Documentation & Compliance

• Maintain detailed records of R&D trials, validations, and process modifications.
• Ensure adherence to food safety and quality systems (HACCP, GMP, FSMA, SQF).
• Assist with internal audits and regulatory inspections by providing required process documentation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Engineering , or a related field ( Master’s degree preferred ). Equivalent combinations of education and relevant work experience will be considered.
• 3–5 years of experience in food manufacturing, process engineering, or R&D.
• Strong working knowledge of food safety systems and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Proficiency in data analysis tools and continuous improvement techniques (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma ).
• Effective communication, project management, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects at once.
• Proficiency with product development tools, customer portals, project management software and MS Office suite.

Personal Attributes

• Strong analytical, math, and problem-solving skills.
• Detail-oriented with a focus on quality and compliance.
• Proactive and positive attitude.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage deadlines.

Work environment

• All work is performed in a cold plant environment with temperatures ranging from 0 degrees F when in the freezer section to 40 degrees F working in production/packaging areas. Work is also performed in areas of high noise levels, wet floors, seasonal schedule changes and dangerous chemicals, depending on position. This position requires standing for long periods of time, bending and lifting of up to 35 lb.

We Take Care of Our Team

Position offers a starting salary range of $69,500 - $110,600 USD

Pay offered dependent on knowledge, skills, experience, and location.

Benefits include annual target bonus program; 401k company contribution with company match up to 5%, Starting at 3 weeks paid time off; 10+ calendar holidays; up to 12 weeks paid parental bonding leave; employee assistance program; comprehensive healthcare plans and wellness programs; pet insurance, legal shield and identity theft protection; short-term and long-term disability plans.

Hans Kissle takes pride in its people and product. We strongly believe in our philosophy to uphold the highest level of integrity in everything we do. Each employee is expected to understand and act appropriately per our philosophy and policies. This job description reflects essential functions assigned by management which are subject to change at any time

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