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Food Strategy Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Role Overview General Manager 3 - Food | Elkton, Virginia This account is part of the SodexoMAGIC ... This strategic alliance enables us to deliver creative solutions to our clients along with our ...

Role Overview General Manager 3 - Food | Elkton, Virginia This account is part of the SodexoMAGIC ... This strategic alliance enables us to deliver creative solutions to our clients along with our ...

Provide strategic direction and full operational oversight across resident dining, retail concepts, and catering. * Lead, mentor, and develop a diverse team, fostering a culture of hospitality ...

The Food and Beverage Assistant Manager plays a critical role in managing daily operations ... Support cost control strategies and monitor financial performance. * Collaborate with leadership to ...

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Food Strategy information

What is a food strategy?

A food strategy in a job context involves planning and developing approaches to improve food quality, safety, sustainability, and efficiency within organizations or supply chains. Professionals in this field analyze market trends, collaborate with stakeholders, and may use tools like data analysis and project management to implement effective food-related initiatives.

What jobs pay 2000 a day?

High-paying jobs that can pay around $2,000 a day typically include specialized roles such as senior management, certain consulting positions, high-level sales, or specialized medical professionals like surgeons. These roles often require advanced skills, extensive experience, or professional certifications and may involve demanding schedules or high-pressure environments.

What is the difference between Food Strategy vs Food Product Development?

AspectFood StrategyFood Product Development
Primary FocusPlanning and guiding overall food business direction, market positioning, and long-term growthDesigning, creating, and testing new food products for market launch
Required CredentialsBusiness or marketing degrees, industry experience, strategic planning skillsFood science, culinary, or engineering degrees, product formulation expertise
Work EnvironmentCorporate offices, strategic teams, marketing departmentsResearch labs, kitchens, product testing facilities
Employer & Industry UsageFood companies, consulting firms, retail chainsFood manufacturing, R&D departments, startups

Food Strategy focuses on the overall direction and market positioning of food businesses, while Food Product Development concentrates on creating and testing new food products. Both roles require industry knowledge but serve different stages of the product lifecycle and business planning process.

What is the highest paying job in the food industry?

In the food industry, executive roles such as Food and Beverage Directors or Corporate Chefs often have the highest salaries, especially in large organizations or luxury establishments. These positions typically require extensive experience, leadership skills, and sometimes advanced degrees or certifications, and they can earn six-figure incomes depending on the size and location of the operation.

What jobs can you get with an agroecology degree?

A degree in agroecology can lead to roles such as sustainable farm manager, environmental consultant, research scientist, or policy advisor focused on sustainable agriculture. These jobs often require knowledge of ecological principles, crop management, and environmental regulations, and may involve fieldwork, data analysis, or policy development.
What are popular job titles related to Food Strategy jobs in Virginia? For Food Strategy jobs in Virginia, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Food Strategy jobs in Virginia look for? The top searched job categories for Food Strategy jobs in Virginia are:
What cities in Virginia are hiring for Food Strategy jobs? Cities in Virginia with the most Food Strategy job openings:
Infographic showing various Food Strategy job openings in Virginia as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 91% Full Time, 7% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 99% Physical, and 1% Remote job distribution.
R&D Food Scientist

Full-time

Posted 27 days ago


Hearthside Food Solutions rating

5.9

Company rating: 5.9 out of 10

Based on 34 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

301st of 383 rated food and drinks producers


Job description

JOB SUMMARY
Maker's Pride is the leading contract manufacturer in North America with 25 manufacturing facilities across four product platforms (Baking, Bars, Refrigerated & Frozen, and Packaging). We operate 9 commercial bakeries, making Maker's Pride the largest cookie and cracker contract manufacturer in the United States
The R&D Food Scientist L1 - NBI (New Bakery & Innovation R&D Platform) within Maker's Pride (MP) is a technical position within the greater R&D team that requires a self-motivated, technically curious & creative, customer focused candidate who will work comfortably cross functionally on the New Bakery & Innovation Business Platform (NBI) with Operations, Sales, Quality, Regulatory, Marketing, Supply Chain, Procurement, Finance, Project Management and Engineering to drive results within Maker's Pride.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES / WHAT YOU GET TO DO
Project Management:
  • Works on the new bakery projects in the New Bakery & Innovation R&D platform from concepts, ingredient sourcing, reformulating, cost management and product life cycle maintenance
  • This position requires an individual to balance multiple assignments/tasks concurrently and demonstrate the ability to work independently or to lead a team within R&D
  • Sets goals, specifications and manages full-scale production plant trials
  • Works closely in cross-functional teams including Operations, Quality, Regulatory, Food Safety and Finance to design food products that meet nutrition guidelines, claims on pack and can be produced cost effectively across the many MP plants domestically. Enables business decision and gets results through clear cross functional communication
  • Upon completion of successful trials this R&D Food Scientist will then turnover the production phase to Operations with set specifications, process instructions, appropriate yields and run rates
  • Understands the business need, designs, implements tests, analyzes data, draws conclusions, documents, communicates results, and commercializes products
  • Positively and proactively interacts with customers, prospects, R&D management and all colleagues to keep projects on track. Constructive technical relationship building, trust and communication skills are key to success in this role
  • Travels and collaborates with plant personnel in production facilities
  • Assists, Core Bakery R&D, upon availability to drive improvements in production processes to ensure consistency, efficiency, and waste reduction in manufacturing across production lines

Leadership:
  • This role involves leading New Bakery & Innovation projects ensuring that all products meet quality, cost, safety, and market standards while business decisions are made efficiently
  • Identifies and evaluates food trends with the Marketing Insights team that supports the business vision and customer strategy within a rolling 2-year horizon
  • Develops an understanding of what MP food processing lines are capable of manufacturing
  • Collaborates cross functionally within MP R&D platform teams (Bars, Bakery, Refrigerated & Frozen and Packaging) as needed. Works comfortably with suppliers and manufacturing facilities

Product Development:
  • Manages some incoming new projects cross functionally
  • Leads bench, pilot plant and production trials on new projects
  • Manages new formulas within targeted costs for Private Label which can get produced commercially on the MP manufacturing lines across multiple MP plants to drive revenue growth
  • Translates market trends and the consumer/business needs into innovative products and packages that can be commercialized in a fast-paced environment

Ingredient Sourcing & Research:
  • Has knowledge of suppliers, food manufacturers, trends, technological advancements, and ingredient innovations, incorporating them into product development
  • Influences, manages projects/people, and solves problems effectively and efficiently
  • Brings an entrepreneurial spirit and growth mindset

Cost and Process Optimization:
  • Drives improvements in production processes to ensure consistency, efficiency, and waste reduction in manufacturing
  • Proactively works with Procurement and suppliers to source innovative ingredients that align with product goals and enhance margin. Enables cross functional business decisions
  • Provides training and support to Operations staff on new recipes and processes

Customer & Market Focus:
  • Stays up-to-date on Bakery trends and competitive products through Marketing Insights
  • Stays up-to-date with industry developments, ingredients, and emerging technologies
  • Engages with customers and Sales teams to ensure that products meet consumer preferences
  • Attends industry conferences, trade shows, and meetings with customers while identifying market needs and new business opportunities

Regulatory & Compliance:
  • Collaborates with the Regulatory team to ensure all product formulations comply with food safety regulations and labeling standards
  • Works with Legal and Regulatory teams to manage product claims, certifications (e.g., gluten-free, organic) and ingredient transparency

Collaboration:
  • Ability to manage a high-volume workflow in a fast paced, action-oriented environment
  • Works closely with cross-functional teams including Business Development, Supply Chain, and Packaging to develop products that drive revenue results to meet the company's goals
  • Communicates findings, challenges, and solutions effectively with stakeholders at various levels on regular intervals and through structured 1:1s

KEY COMPETENCIES / WHAT WE WANT FROM YOU
  • Collaborates within R&D and cross functionally on projects that drive revenue results
  • Basic knowledge of commercial Bakery production equipment and processes is preferred
  • Excellent project management, critical thinking, organizational, and leadership skills
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
  • Experience with nutrition analysis and labeling software (ESHA Genesis, ASD Product Vision, or similar)
  • Familiarity with Regulatory standards, nutritional labeling, and product safety protocols
  • A desire to drive your future and accelerate your career while leading, coaching and mentoring others

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
  • B.S. or M.S. in Food Science, Bakery Science, Culinary Science, Agricultural Science or similar is required
  • Internship in Food Science, Quality or R&D and/or 0-2 years of relevant experience preferred
  • Baking experience preferred

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
  • Sitting at a workstation for extended periods of time
  • Stand, walk, climb stairs on a frequent basis
  • Office-based with regular time spent in the R&D lab/ pilot plant and production facilities
  • Up to 25% travel to suppliers, production sites or to attend industry conferences

No relocation is available for this opportunity.
Sponsorship for work authorization is not available for this position. It is the candidate's responsibility to ensure they are legally authorized to work in the location to which they apply.
#LI-MA1 #LI-onsite
Maker's Pride is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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