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Food Product Development Jobs in Madison, WI (NOW HIRING)

Pennsylvania Food Corporation

R&D Manager

Portage, WI · On-site

$110 - $160/hr

R&D Manager Pennsylvania Food Corporation Portage, Wisconsin, United States About this position The R&D Manager is responsible for leading research, product development, formulation ...

New

Gordon Food Service

Part Time Food Production

Madison, WI · On-site

$13.25 - $18.25/hr

Advancement - High internal promotion rate and development programs available! Gordon Food Service ... As a Part Time Food Production Associate you bring fun into our store! No 2 days are ever the same ...

Gordon Food Service

Part Time Food Production

Madison, WI · On-site

$15 - $18/hr

Advancement - High internal promotion rate and development programs available! Gordon Food Service ... As a Part Time Food Production Associate you bring fun into our store! No 2 days are ever the same ...

Socket.dev

R&D Manager

Madison, WI · On-site

$125 - $140/hr

Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Product Development, Engineering, or a related field. * 7+ years of experience in food product development, research & development, commercialization support, or ...

New

FurstStaffing

Food Technologist

Monticello, WI

Job Summary The Food Technologist will support the Product Development team by executing key technical workflows across food safety, formulation, sensory, and regulatory documentation. This role will ...

Ian's Pizza

Food Production Supervisor

Madison, WI · On-site

$18 - $20/hr

Why You'll Love Working HereWhether you dream of growth and development, are trying out new careers ... You ensure each station is following standards for food safety, product quality, cleanliness, and ...

Iff

Product Specialist

Madison, WI · Hybrid

Partner with Product Development, Contract Manufacturing, Sourcing, Quality and Food Safety, and Regulatory teams to support proposed formulations, samples, packaging proposals, tolling options, and ...

Ian's Pizza

Food Production Cook

Madison, WI · On-site

$16 - $18/hr

The Commissary Kitchen, or Food Lab, is a high-volume food production facility on Madison's east ... Why You'll Love Working HereWhether you dream of growth and development, are trying out new careers ...

GoMacro

R&D Manager

Madison, WI · On-site

Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Product Development, Engineering, or a related field. * 7+ years of experience in food product development, research & development, commercialization support, or ...

GoMacro LLC

R&D Manager

Madison, WI · On-site

Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Product Development, Engineering, or a related field. * 7+ years of experience in food product development, research & development, commercialization support, or ...

Alkar

Food Technologist

Lodi, WI · On-site

$70K - $80K/yr

Collaborates cross-functionally to apply R&D outcomes in real-world production environments, supporting improvements in food safety, quality, and efficiency. * Stays current with industry trends ...

ALKAR-RAPIDPAK, INC.

Food Technologist

Lodi, WI

$70K - $80K/yr

Collaborates cross-functionally to apply R&D outcomes in real-world production environments, supporting improvements in food safety, quality, and efficiency. * Stays current with industry trends ...

ALKAR-RAPIDPAK, INC.

Food Technologist

Lodi, WI · On-site

$70K - $80K/yr

Collaborates cross-functionally to apply R&D outcomes in real-world production environments, supporting improvements in food safety, quality, and efficiency. * Stays current with industry trends ...

Iff

New Business Development Manager

Madison, WI · Remote

$155K - $165K/yr

... products into extraordinary experiences? IFF is a global leader in flavors, fragrances, food ... Drive New Business Development: Lead efforts to identify, engage, and grow target accounts in the ...

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Food Product Development information

See Madison, WI salary details

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$128K

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How much do food product development jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 21, 2026, the average yearly pay for food product development in Madison, WI is $127,956.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $115,400.00 and $144,100.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a food product development?

A Food Product Development job involves creating new food products or improving existing ones by experimenting with ingredients, formulations, and processing techniques. Professionals in this field work closely with food scientists, marketers, and manufacturers to ensure products meet consumer preferences, regulatory standards, and cost requirements. They conduct research, test recipes, and oversee production trials to bring safe, high-quality, and marketable food items to store shelves.

What are some common challenges faced by professionals in food product development?

Food Product Development professionals often encounter challenges such as balancing taste, nutrition, cost, and shelf-life while adhering to strict food safety and regulatory standards. They may need to quickly adapt to changing consumer preferences and troubleshoot issues that arise during product testing or manufacturing scale-up. Collaboration with cross-functional teams, such as marketing, quality assurance, and supply chain, is key to overcoming these obstacles and launching successful products. This dynamic environment requires flexibility and a continual willingness to learn and innovate.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in food product development, and why are they important?

To thrive in Food Product Development, you need expertise in food science, sensory evaluation, and recipe formulation, typically backed by a degree in food science, nutrition, or a related field. Familiarity with laboratory equipment, food safety regulations, and product lifecycle management software is often required. Strong project management, creativity, and teamwork skills help individuals excel in this role. These abilities are essential because they ensure products are innovative, safe, and compliant while meeting consumer demands and business objectives.

How to get into food product development?

To enter food product development, candidates typically need a bachelor's degree in food science, culinary arts, or a related field. Gaining experience through internships or entry-level roles in food manufacturing or research helps develop relevant skills such as product formulation, sensory evaluation, and knowledge of food safety standards. Proficiency with product development tools and strong teamwork are also valuable for success in this field.

What do you do as a food product developer?

A food product developer designs, tests, and refines new food products to meet consumer preferences and safety standards. They conduct research, create prototypes, and collaborate with cross-functional teams using tools like sensory analysis and food science techniques to bring products from concept to market.

What are the most commonly searched types of Food Product Development jobs in Madison, WI?

The most popular types of Food Product Development jobs in Madison, WI are:

What are popular job titles related to Food Product Development jobs in Madison, WI?

For Food Product Development jobs in Madison, WI, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Food Product Development jobs in Madison, WI look for?

The top searched job categories for Food Product Development jobs in Madison, WI are:

Food Product Development jobs near you
Infographic showing various Food Product Development job openings in Madison, WI as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 80% Full Time, 15% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 90% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $127,956 per year, or $61.5 per hour.

Optical Product Development Engineer - Spectroscopy Instruments

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Madison, WI • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Vision, Life

Re-posted 5 days ago

Thermo Fisher Scientific rating

7.8

Company rating: 7.8 out of 10

Based on 428 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

175th of 543 rated manufacturers

Job description

Work Schedule
Standard (Mon-Fri)
Environmental Conditions
Able to lift 40 lbs. without assistance, Laboratory Setting, Office
Job Description
LOCATION: This is a fully onsite position based at our Madison, WI site. Unfortunately, relocation assistance is NOT provided.
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship now or in the future.
Must be able to pass a comprehensive background check, which includes a drug screen.
As part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific team, you'll discover meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life every day to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner, and safer. We provide our teams with the resources needed to achieve individual career goals while advancing solutions to some of the world's toughest challenges, like protecting the environment, making sure our food is safe or helping find cures for cancer.
The Analytical Instruments Group (AIG) at Thermo Fisher Scientific provides a broad portfolio of instruments, software, and services that support a wide range of laboratory, production, and field applications. Our solutions are used by customers across pharmaceutical, biotechnology, academic, government, environmental, and industrial markets to advance research, improve productivity, and drive innovation. At the Madison, Wisconsin site, our teams design and manufacture advanced spectroscopy instrumentation used by scientists around the world for research, materials science, energy, and industrial applications.
We are seeking a hands-on Optical Product Development Engineer to help design, build, test, and improve optical systems for FTIR, NIR, and Raman spectroscopy instruments.
This role is ideal for an engineer with a strong foundation in optics who enjoys working in the lab, building prototypes, troubleshooting real hardware, and collaborating across disciplines to turn optical concepts into manufacturable products. The successful candidate should bring a solid technical foundation, hands-on engineering mindset, and curiosity to continue developing advanced optical design skills while contributing directly to product development.
This is a product-focused role, not a purely theoretical modeling role. The engineer will work across optical design, prototyping, alignment, testing, system integration, and transfer to manufacturing.
Key Responsibilities
  • Develop optical subsystems for spectroscopy instruments, including illumination, collection, imaging, sensing, laser, fiber-coupled, or interferometric optical systems
  • Translate product and performance requirements into practical optical designs, prototypes, and testable hardware
  • Build, align, and evaluate optical prototypes in the lab
  • Use optical modeling and simulation tools such as Zemax, Code V, LightTools, or similar tools to support design decisions
  • Perform optical testing, data analysis, and performance characterization
  • Troubleshoot optical, mechanical, electrical, and system-level issues during development and production
  • Collaborate closely with mechanical, electrical, software, firmware, systems, manufacturing, and service teams
  • Support optical tolerance analysis, error budgeting, alignment strategies, and performance optimization
  • Develop and execute test plans to verify optical and instrument-level performance
  • Iterate designs based on experimental data, manufacturability, reliability, cost, and performance tradeoffs
  • Support design transfer to manufacturing, including alignment procedures, test methods, yield improvement, and root-cause analysis
  • Work with vendors and suppliers on optical components, coatings, assemblies, and subsystems
  • Contribute to design reviews, technical documentation, and product development milestones
  • Mentor junior engineers or technicians as appropriate

Requirements
  • Bachelor's degree plus 5 years of experience, or Master's degree plus 3 years experience in Optical Engineering, Physics, Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline
  • Experience building, aligning, testing, or troubleshooting optical systems in a laboratory or product development environment
  • Ability to analyze experimental data and use results to improve hardware performance
  • Familiarity with optical design or simulation tools such as Zemax, Code V, LightTools, FRED, or similar tools
  • Comfortable working with laboratory equipment such as optical benches, alignment tools, power meters, spectrometers, interferometers, cameras, detectors, oscilloscopes, or data acquisition systems
  • Practical problem-solving mindset with the ability to debug complex hardware and system-level issues
  • Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams across optical, mechanical, electrical, software, manufacturing, and quality disciplines
  • Programming or scripting experience in Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, or similar tools for data analysis, automation, or modeling
  • Strong communication skills and ability to document designs, test results, trade studies, and technical decisions

Preferred Qualifications
  • Strong foundation in optical principles, including geometrical optics, diffraction, polarization, imaging, radiometry, and basic wave optics
  • Experience developing optical systems for commercial instruments, analytical instruments, medical devices, life science tools, aerospace systems, defense systems, or other complex hardware products
  • Experience with spectroscopy systems such as FTIR, NIR, Raman, UV-Vis, fluorescence, or related optical measurement technologies
  • Understanding of opto-mechanical design, alignment sensitivity, thermal effects, vibration, stray light, and optical contamination
  • Familiarity with optical tolerancing, metrology, fabrication processes, coatings, and supplier capabilities
  • Experience supporting manufacturing transfer, production troubleshooting, yield improvement, or service investigations
  • Interest in using AI, machine learning, or generative AI tools to improve data analysis, automation, modeling, or engineering productivity

Ideal Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate has a solid optics foundation and enjoys turning ideas into working hardware. They are comfortable moving between analysis, simulation, hands-on lab work, prototype builds, data analysis, and cross-functional problem solving. They are curious, practical, and eager to grow into a stronger optical designer while helping develop real products that can be manufactured, tested, and supported in the field.

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