Contract Food Product Developer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Shaw Bakers is growing! As a national leader in the commercial Premium Artisan Bakery category, we are searching for an experienced Product Developer to join our dynamic team, bringing their pastry/baking culinary expertise to our innovation group.The candidate will bring extensive knowledge in bakery product development, with a strong focus on lamination techniques, and a proven track record in creating innovative products from concept to commercialization. They will have experience demonstrating both creativity and rigorous technical expertise with industrial food product development.Experience with cookies, bread, or brioche is a plus.The role involves a mix of office work, lab/kitchen testing, production facility trials, along with visits to suppliers and customers, requiring a self-starter with strong leadership, communication, and collaboration skills. Bi-lingual skills in Spanish and English are highly valuable but not required.This role is a full-time, onsite position in South San Francisco and we are open to relocation for an experienced candidate.What You'll DoProduct Development:Lead the end-to-end development of innovative bakery products, from ideation to market launch, ensuring alignment with customer requirements and brand standards.Recipe Development:Create and refine detailed paper recipes, including advanced costing, strategic sourcing of ingredients, and proposed labor assumptions, while optimizing for industrial process capabilities and scalability.Documentation:Document formulas, initial cost of goods, labor assumptions, and production processes, ensuring accurate and up-to-date batch sheets.Industrial Pilots:Design and oversee industrial pilot tests in production facilities, organizing up-front test-runs to anticipate potential issues, advise on formula adjustments or needed investments, and optimize processes for consistent quality at scale.Product Quality:Establish and document quality control measures to ensure product consistency and excellence. Define corrective actions with managers and ensure their implementation across departments. Oversee documentation of any production process changes.Continuous Improvement:Identify opportunities to enhance processes with a continuous improvement mindset, driving efficiency and quality across development and production stages.Cross-Functional Leadership:Collaborate with operations, packaging engineers, sales, supply chain, and FSQA (Food Safety and Quality Assurance) teams to drive seamless product execution and process improvements.Equipment Strategy:Partner with the engineering team to evaluate and recommend new equipment to enhance product development and production efficiency.Who You AreEducation:Degree in Food Science, Bakery Science, Engineering, or a related field is preferred, or equivalent professional experience.Bakery Expertise:Professional experience (3+ years) in bakery product development, with advanced expertise in lamination techniques. Experience with cookies, bread, or brioche is a plus.Creative and Technical Excellence:Proven ability to blend traditional baking savoir-faire with an engineering mindset to deliver innovative, high-quality products in an industrial setting.Self-Starter and Leadership:Demonstrated ability to independently initiate and drive projects to completion, with strong leadership skills to guide teams and influence cross-functional stakeholders.Humble and Collaborative:A team-oriented mindset with humility, fostering positive relationships and effective collaboration with operations, packaging, sales, supply chain, and FSQA teams.Industrial Process Mastery:Comprehensive understanding of industrial food production processes and equipment, with a focus on performance, scalability, and optimization.Analytical Expertise:Proficiency in recipe costing, ingredient sourcing, labor assumptions, process optimization, and documentation of formulas and production processes.Quality and Food Safety:Knowledge of quality control measures, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and microbiological testing to ensure product safety and shelf life.Communication and Mobility: Strong interpersonal skills for engaging with suppliers and customers during visits, and adaptability to work across office, lab/kitchen, and production environments. Ability to lift 30 lbs. as necessary, over 50 lbs. with assistance.Language:English required; Spanish is highly valued.Who We AreWe are the proud artisans behind San Francisco's beloved bakery brand, La Boulangerie, charting a path towards a nationwide presence in the world of CPG. Established in 1996 by French baker Pascal Rigo, La Boulangerie swiftly earned its place as a household name across California. Our unwavering mission from day one has been to bring a little taste of France, with delicious and nutritious food, to as many people as possible.Fueled by our Bay Area roots, thriving neighborhood cafes, and historical successes, we embark on an exciting journey into larger-scale CPG and wholesale opportunities. Through our past endeavors with industry giants like Starbucks, to today's strategic partnership with Premium Brands, we're forging ahead with creativity and innovation, ensuring that our artisanal baked goods can be accessible to all.We manage branded products under La Boulangerie and private label products under Shaw Bakers, powered by one united and mighty team. We are bakers and innovators. We are food lovers dedicated to bringing delicious & nutritious food to as many people as possible, making a range of products from breads, pastries, sandwiches, and snacks.Our goal is to balance continual innovation while maintaining French standards for quality and technique.Today, our customers can sample decadent viennoiserie, mouthwatering sandwiches, and artisanal breads from one of our San Francisco cafes, or pick up their favorite loaf of Croissant Toast and Ham & Swiss Croissants from several fine retailers across the Bay Area and beyond...and we are just getting started!