R&D / Product Development Technician

Don's Prepared Foods

Don's Prepared Foods is the leading manufacturer on the East Coast of prepared gourmet deli salads, gourmet cream cheese spreads, dips, entrée’s and more.

Don's is a family-owned business and manufactures over 130 products spanning across its three brands: Don's Salads, Melanie's Medleys and Artisan Deli.

We are currently seeking R&D / Product Development Technician to join the R&D department at our Schwenksville, PA food manufacturing plant. This is an hourly, non-exempt position that starts at 7:30AM Monday-Friday.

This role is responsible for supporting the Research & Development Manager with product-development work by independently executing defined technical, organizational, and hands-on assignments. Assist in preparing bench samples, coordinate shelf-life and sensory work, organize formula and project records, move new-ingredient reviews forward, support production trials, and conduct market, cost, and process research.

Candidates who have prior product-development, food laboratory, culinary, quality, or food-manufacturing experience preferred; strong early-career candidates with relevant education and demonstrated aptitude are strongly encouraged to apply.

Job responsibilities:

Bench Development and Lab Operations

• Support bench development after the Research & Development Manager creates the initial formula; retrieve and organize ingredients, prepare directed product iterations, and document every change accurately.
• Set up and clean bench trials; wash and sanitize equipment; maintain organized ingredients, packaging, samples, small equipment, refrigerator, freezer, and work areas.
• Assist with preparing product samples when suitable production samples are unavailable; label samples accurately and transfer them to the responsible fulfillment team.

Shelf-Life and Sensory Programs

• Set up shelf-life studies, complete required laboratory and microbiological request paperwork, label and store samples, schedule pulls, maintain study files, and organize analytical results.
• Support shelf-life improvement projects by organizing prior work, identifying assigned extension opportunities, collecting results, and coordinating defined supplier-supported trials.
• Plan and execute structured internal sensory tests after training, including blind coding, scorecards, efficient feedback collection, data summaries, and a documented second opinion for the Research & Development Manager.

Ingredients, Formulas, Nutrition, and Documentation

• Collect supplier documentation and prepare preliminary ingredient and supplier approval forms; identify missing information and track follow-up through review.
• Coordinate Don's new-ingredient workflow with Purchasing: review priorities, verify documentation and sample status, photograph products, prepare samples for R&D/QA review, and maintain visible next steps through disposition or approval.
• Maintain R&D recipe sheets, formula versions, trial records, project folders, and product-development history files so current and historical work is searchable and traceable.
• Enter and maintain approved formula information in the company ERP system as assigned and compare approved recipe sheets with Plex to identify version discrepancies for review.
• Enter and validate ingredient and formula information in Nutritionist Pro; prepare draft nutritionals and NFPs and flag discrepancies against current labels or source specifications for review.

Production Trials and Improvement Work

• Coordinate and support assigned production trials by assisting with scheduling, bringing approved lab-held ingredients, completing trial paperwork, and collecting yields, times, temperatures, photos, observations, and samples.
• Complete assigned production observations and data-collection studies using an established framework; document process flow, variation, yield loss, timing, temperatures, quality issues, and recurring pain points.
• Review product yields for process improvements; prepare preliminary calculations and evidence without reducing product quality.

Research, Project Organization, and Department Support

• Maintain the shared R&D project tracker with the Research & Development Manager; follow up on assigned open items and keep owners, priorities, next steps, and overdue work visible.
• Take R&D meeting minutes, distribute notes and action items, and add agreed follow-up steps to the shared tracker.
• Close completed, discontinued, or stalled projects by filing final formulas, trial records, photos, costs, shelf-life results, decisions, and sample or ingredient disposition.
• Create and improve practical R&D templates and procedures for bench trials, sensory tests, shelf-life work, production trials, file organization, and project closeout, subject to Research & Development Manager approval.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Culinary Science, Culinary Arts, Food Technology or a related discipline preferred. An Associate’s Degree or equivalent relevant technical food experience may be considered.

• Basic mathematical ability, including percentages, weights, formula scaling, yields, and cost calculations.
• Strong interest in food, flavor, culinary trends, and prepared-food product development.
• Ability to learn technical procedures and independently execute defined work after training while recognizing when a decision must be escalated.
• Ability to stand, walk, use hands and arms, perform bench and kitchen work, and safely lift and move up to 50 pounds with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Work may occur in office, laboratory, kitchen, production, warehouse, refrigerated, and freezer environments, including temperatures of approximately 34-38°F, moderate noise, and areas near moving equipment.
• Ability and willingness to taste a broad range of food products and work around common food allergens, subject to appropriate safety controls and reasonable accommodation.

We offer an excellent benefit package:

• Competitive starting pay – paid weekly
• Benefits package available after 60 days of employment:
  • Medical option of POS, PPO, or PPO HSA insurance
  • Dental insurance
  • Company paid Life, AD&D, Short- & Long-Term Disability (after 90 days)
  • 401K with company match (after 90 days)
  • Colonial Life Supplemental Insurance
• 9 paid holidays and birthday PTO
• SQF – Safe Quality Food Culture
• Alchemy Education Training
• Safety Culture, including a Certified Safety Committee
• Employee referral bonus
• Employee recognition, gifts, and awards

Must pass a pre-employment criminal background and pre-employment drug test.

Aldon Food Corporation is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Minority/Female/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/Disability/Veteran.

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