Research And Development Manager

Highbury Canco, as a food manufacturing company, knows its fundamental value comes from its Employees who live, work, and play in Leamington and the surrounding area. We are proud to have created a company environment of growth, education, recognition and appreciation through many initiatives and programs. We offer a comprehensive compensation package, training, apprenticeships, and employee appreciation initiatives throughout the year.

We are currently seeking an experienced and innovative Research & Development Manager to lead the development, commercialization, and continuous improvement of our food products and processes. This role is responsible for translating customer and consumer needs into commercially viable products while ensuring food safety, quality, regulatory compliance, cost targets, and manufacturing capabilities are incorporated throughout the development process.

The R&D Manager will work closely with Operations, Quality Assurance, Procurement, Marketing, and Engineering to successfully bring new products from concept through commercialization and to optimize existing products and processes.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on food scientist and leader who combines strong technical expertise with sound business judgment, project management skills, and a practical understanding of food manufacturing.

Key Responsibilities:

Product Development & Commercialization

• Lead the R&D team in identifying and exploring new product categories, trends, and growth opportunities that align with the company's strategic goals.
• Manage product development lifecycle, from product design, scale-up, testing, through to commercialization. This includes preparing, executing, and supporting factory trials for new product and process launches.
• Support scale-up activities and ensure processes developed in R&D are practical and reproducible at commercial scale.
• Define and communicate project design criteria to internal and external stakeholders (senior leadership, factory, vendors, co-pack customers & OEMs)
• Establish appropriate product testing, shelf-life studies and product stability programs including acceptance criteria for new and established products.

Process Development & Optimization

• Partner with Operations, Engineering & Quality to develop and optimize manufacturing processes.
• Identify opportunities to improve yields, throughput, efficiency, product consistency, and overall manufacturing performance.
• Troubleshoot product and process issues and lead technical investigations to identify root causes and corrective actions.
• Evaluate alternative ingredients, suppliers, technologies, and processes to improve product quality, cost, functionality, and supply continuity.
• Participate in continuous improvement and kaizen events

Leadership

• Mentor and develop the R&D team, by providing technical training, performance goals, identifying and addressing knowledge gaps within the department.
• Foster relationships with external partners, including universities, research institutes, and industry experts, to stay at the forefront of technology trends.
• Facilitate technical training, for supervisors and supporting roles with a focus on processes.

Qualifications:

Education: Bachelor’s degree/Diploma in Food Science, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering or a related technical field.

Experience:

• 5+ years of experience in food product development, with at least 3 years in a leadership or managerial role.
• Strong background in research, product development processes, and project management.
• Demonstrated record of leading successful R&D projects and launching products to market.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Excellent communication, time management, & problem-solving skills with particular attention to details.
• Experience with industrial factory settings
• Experience with acidified, low-acid, shelf-stable, canned, jarred, or bottled foods.
• Knowledge of thermal processing, pasteurization, retort, hot-fill, or other commercial food preservation processes.
• Knowledge of packaging development and compatibility.
• Experience working with major retail, foodservice, or private-label customers.
• Strong understanding of statistical analysis and design of experiments (DOE).
• Experience with product costing and cost-of-goods optimization is considered an asset

Preferred Skills:

• Comprehensive computer skills – Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook), SAP, SharePoint.
• Knowledge of regulations governing food in Canada and the United States (FDA, FDR, SFCR & Health Canada)
• Experience with budgeting and resource management.

If you are interested in this exciting opportunity, please apply online with your resume and cover letter. We thank all applicants for their interest, but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Highbury is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity and inclusion. We are committed to providing a safe and respectful work environment for all our employees.

This job posting is for an existing vacancy that the employer currently intends to fill.

Highbury Canco is committed to employment equity. We wish to acknowledge all interested candidates; however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.