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Product Development Manager Jobs in Minnesota (NOW HIRING)

Marvin

Finance Manager, Product Development

Warroad, MN · On-site

$110K - $140K/yr

The position will work closely with product development and product management leaders to create and implement product and process analytics that measure impact of activity and investment in order to ...

Coloplast

Product Development Engineer

Minneapolis, MN · On-site

$90K - $120K/yr

Participate in risk management activities, including hazard identification, analysis, and documentation * Design, perform, and document laboratory experiments, methods development, and product ...

Schwans

Product Development Director

Marshall, MN · On-site

$134K - $200K/yr

Manage the identification and presentation of new product platforms/opportunities, product ... development improvement. Manage, train and develop subordinates. Other duties as assigned. Must ...

SCHWAN'S

Product Development Director

Marshall, MN

$134K - $200K/yr

Manage the identification and presentation of new product platforms/opportunities, product ... development improvement. Manage, train and develop subordinates. Other duties as assigned. Must ...

3M

Product Development Engineer

Maplewood, MN

$98K - $120K/yr

Ensuring safe laboratory conditions, the use of life cycle management and EHS best practices Your ... Product development experience in a private, public, government or military environment

3M

Product Development Engineer

Maplewood, MN · On-site

$98K - $120K/yr

Ensuring safe laboratory conditions, the use of life cycle management and EHS best practices Your ... Product development experience in a private, public, government or military environment

Henkel

Product Development Engineer

Cannon Falls, MN · On-site

$75K - $110K/yr

What you'll do * The Product Development Engineer is responsible for the scale-up of newly ... Presents scale-up reports to top management and external customers. * Responsible for scale-up ...

D.W. Simpson

Product Development Actuary

Minneapolis, MN · On-site

$140/hr

... the development, pricing, and strategic direction of Indexed Universal Life (IUL) products. The ... managing teams. Must have strong collaboration skills. (#58269) Compensation: * Salary range of ...

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All JobsProduct Development Manager JobsProduct Development Manager Jobs in Minnesota

Product Development Manager information

See Minnesota salary details

$41.6K

$124.4K

$141.5K

How much do product development manager jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for product development manager in Minnesota is $124,373.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $112,100.00 and $140,100.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges a Product Development Manager might face when balancing stakeholder expectations and project timelines?

A Product Development Manager often navigates the challenge of balancing diverse stakeholder expectations with realistic project timelines. Stakeholders, such as marketing, sales, and engineering teams, may have differing priorities or urgency, which can lead to conflicting demands. Effective communication, setting clear project milestones, and regularly updating all parties are essential strategies. Additionally, managing scope creep and ensuring alignment on product vision help prevent delays and maintain focus on deliverables.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Product Development Manager, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Product Development Manager, you need expertise in project management, market analysis, and product lifecycle strategies, usually supported by a degree in business, engineering, or a related field. Familiarity with tools like Agile methodologies, product management software (e.g., Jira, Trello), and certifications such as PMP or Scrum Master are highly beneficial. Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills help you motivate teams and navigate cross-functional collaboration. These competencies are crucial for driving innovation, meeting market demands, and ensuring successful product launches.

What are the 7 stages of product development?

The 7 stages of product development typically include idea generation, idea screening, concept development and testing, business analysis, product design and development, market testing, and commercialization. As a Product Development Manager, understanding these stages helps in managing cross-functional teams and ensuring timely product launches. Familiarity with project management tools and market research is also beneficial throughout the process.

What does a Product Development Manager do?

A Product Development Manager oversees the creation and improvement of products from concept to launch, coordinating cross-functional teams such as engineering, design, and marketing. They develop product strategies, manage project timelines, and ensure products meet customer needs and business goals, often using tools like project management software and requiring strong leadership and communication skills.

What Does a Product Development Manager Do?

A product development manager helps a company design new goods and merchandise to increase sales and revenue. As a product development manager, you collaborate with market research and product marketing managers to form development and marketing strategy around new product ideas. You also work with teams in the product development and marketing departments to implement strategies and design new goods or services. You oversee quality assurance testing to ensure that the end user is satisfied with the products your company creates.

What is the difference between Product Development Manager vs Product Manager?

AspectProduct Development ManagerProduct Manager
Primary FocusOversees the development process, managing teams and technical aspectsDefines product vision, strategy, and manages the product lifecycle
Required SkillsTechnical knowledge, project management, team leadershipMarket research, user experience, strategic planning
Work EnvironmentCollaborates with engineering, design, and production teamsWorks closely with marketing, sales, and customer feedback

While both roles are integral to product success, the Product Development Manager primarily focuses on managing the development process and technical teams, whereas the Product Manager concentrates on defining the product vision and strategy. Understanding these distinctions helps organizations assign the right responsibilities and professionals to each role.

What's the highest paying PM job?

The highest paying product management roles are often at executive levels such as Vice President or Chief Product Officer, with salaries exceeding $200,000 annually and additional bonuses or stock options. These positions typically require extensive experience, strategic leadership skills, and a strong understanding of market trends and product lifecycle management.

What is a Product Development Manager?

A Product Development Manager is a professional responsible for overseeing the process of creating new products or improving existing ones within a company. They coordinate cross-functional teams, manage timelines, and ensure that products meet market needs and business objectives. Their role often includes market research, product design, testing, and working closely with marketing, engineering, and sales teams to bring products to market successfully.

Is it hard to get a product manager job?

Securing a product development manager position can be competitive, often requiring relevant experience in product lifecycle management, strong leadership skills, and familiarity with tools like Agile or Scrum. Candidates typically need a combination of technical knowledge, business acumen, and a proven track record of successful product launches.
More about Product Development Manager jobs
What are the most commonly searched types of Product Development jobs in Minnesota? The most popular types of Product Development jobs in Minnesota are:
What are popular job titles related to Product Development Manager jobs in Minnesota? For Product Development Manager jobs in Minnesota, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Product Development Manager jobs in Minnesota look for? The top searched job categories for Product Development Manager jobs in Minnesota are:
What cities in Minnesota are hiring for Product Development Manager jobs? Cities in Minnesota with the most Product Development Manager job openings:
Product Development Manager jobs near you
Infographic showing various Product Development Manager job openings in Minnesota as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 81% Full Time, 16% Part Time, 1% Temporary, 1% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 91% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $124,373 per year, or $59.8 per hour.
Food Product Development Manager (Consumer Packaged Goods)

Food Product Development Manager (Consumer Packaged Goods)

E.A. Sween

Eden Prairie, MN • On-site

$125K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 12 days ago

Job description

Who We Are
Since 1955, we have been on a mission To Passionately Feed Millions Daily with High Quality Food People Enjoy! We are a third-generation family-owned and professionally managed organization with a commitment to strategic growth. We continue to be successful because of talented people, just like you, who choose to join our family and call E.A. Sween home. We pride ourselves on fostering a welcoming, respectful, and rewarding culture where employees are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work each and every day. At E.A. Sween, our team members are seen, heard, and appreciated not just for what they do, but for who they are. We hope you'll join us!
Compensation: The target salary for this position is $125,000 annually, consistent with our internal compensation framework. This position is classified as Grade 16, with a full pay range of $97,417.80 to $154,486.70. You are eligible for an incentive bonus up too 15% of your annual salary, prorated based on your start date. Final pay will be determined by your experience, skills, internal equity, and available budget.
What We're Seeking
We are seeking an Product Development Manager to lead product development for ready-to-eat food platforms, including sandwiches, wraps, handheld meals, and related prepared foods. This role combines hands-on development with team leadership to create products with consistent quality, consumer appeal, and clear business value. The Product Development Manager will lead culinary concept development, guide technical formulation, oversee bench and plant trials, and support commercialization from concept through launch. The ideal candidate brings strong product development experience, sound culinary judgment, food science capability, and proven people leadership.
What You'll Do (Responsibilities)
Lead Product Development and Commercialization
  • Lead new product development projects from concept through commercialization, ensuring products meet business, consumer, operational, and food safety requirements.
  • Direct the development of ready-to-eat sandwiches, wraps, handheld meals, deli products, sauces, spreads, proteins, bakery-based foods, and prepared food systems.
  • Manage product renovation, line extension, quality improvement, cost reduction, ingredient substitution, and productivity initiatives across the product portfolio.
  • Lead bench development, culinary gold-standard creation, plant trials, first-production runs, and post-launch product evaluations.
  • Design and execute experiments, analyze data, draw conclusions, and make sound technical recommendations to support product and process decisions.
  • Develop and approve formulas, processing instructions, product specifications, trial reports, test data, and commercialization documents.
  • Apply food science principles related to flavor, texture, moisture migration, water activity, pH, emulsions, thermal processing, shelf life, and food safety.
  • Manage multiple technical projects with defined timelines, risk assessments, action plans, stakeholder alignment and consistent communication.
  • Apply culinary expertise to product design, flavor development, ingredient selection, sensory strategy, and overall eating experience.
  • Present product concepts, prototypes, technical updates, and recommendations to cross-functional leaders, customers, and key stakeholders
  • Serve as a technical subject matter expert in customer meetings, product presentations, commercialization reviews, and internal decision-making forums.

Lead People and Build Organizational Capability
  • Lead and develop a high-performing R&D team grounded in accountability, curiosity, collaboration, food safety, and continuous improvement.
  • Strengthen culinary, technical, and commercialization capability across the R&D function through coaching, training, and clear performance expectations.
  • Establish clear priorities, assign project responsibilities, review technical work, and ensure the team delivers against business, customer, and commercialization objectives.
  • Manage, coach, and develop R&D scientists, technologists, technicians, and other team members to improve performance, engagement, and technical depth.
  • Monitor industry trends, culinary trends, ingredient innovation, competitive activity, processing technologies, packaging formats, and evolving consumer needs.
  • Identify product opportunities that deliver differentiated, craveable, portable, and commercially viable solutions for the RTE food category.
  • Support innovation pipelines, customer-specific development, platform expansion, and long-term product strategy through disciplined technical leadership.
  • Improve R&D systems, documentation standards, trial planning, sensory practices, and commercialization processes to increase speed, consistency, and execution quality.
  • Influence cross-functional teams and guide business decisions using data, sensory insights, technical expertise, food safety requirements, and commercial priorities.

What You'll Need (Qualifications)
  • Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Culinary Science, Culinology, Food Engineering or a related discipline.
  • 7 or more years of product development experience within the food industry.
  • Strong culinary capability with a practical understanding of commercial food production, manufacturing constraints, and cost targets.
  • Demonstrated experience developing ready-to-eat foods, prepared meals, sandwiches, wraps, bakery-based products, meat systems, cheese applications, sauces, spreads, or related CPG food products.
  • Experience leading products from concept, bench development, prototype creation, plant trials, and commercialization.
  • Strong technical knowledge of ingredient functionality, formulation, food safety, shelf life, sensory evaluation, and manufacturing scale-up.

Preferred Qualifications (if applicable)
  • Master's degree in Food Science, Culinary Science, or related technical field.
  • Culinary degree, professional kitchen experience, or applied culinary product development experience.
  • Experience with chilled, refrigerated, MAP, and shelf-life-sensitive food products.
  • Experience with consumer research, sensory methods, DOE, statistical analysis, and data-based product optimization.
  • Knowledge of PLM, ERP, formulation systems, specification systems, Microsoft Office, and project management tools.

Physical Demands and Work Environment
  • This role works in office, laboratory, and production environments.
  • Regular work in chilled production areas around 50°F may be required.
  • The role requires frequent tasting and sensory evaluation of food products.
  • Occasional lifting or moving of ingredients, samples, or supplies up to 25 to 50 pounds may be required.
  • Some off-hour work may occur during plant trials, start-ups, commercialization runs, or customer deadlines.
  • Travel up to 25 percent may be required based on business needs.

How You'll Find Success at EAS
  • Value People Most of All: Show respect & care, embrace diversity, and empower others.
  • Commit to Safety Everyday: See something say something do something, practice safe behavior, and celebrate safety success.
  • Invest in Our Company to Thrive: Share ideas to improve, learn & grow, and embrace change.
  • Think Before Doing And Act Decisively: Make thoughtful decisions, work together to find solutions, and do what's right.
  • Welcome Constructive Straight Talk: Be honest and respectful even when difficult, be open to ideas and feedback, and ask questions to understand.
  • Serve Up Exceptional Experiences: Provide value to customers, take pride in your work, and help others to be successful.
  • Enjoy What You Do!: Have a positive attitude, Live the Spirit of E.A. Sween, and celebrate success.

E.A. Sween is proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the health, financial security, and well-being of our team members. Benefits include:
  • Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
  • Paid Time Off (PTO)
  • 8 Paid Holidays
  • Company-Paid Life Insurance
  • 401(k) with Company Match - fully vested after 2 years
  • Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Plans
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Employee Recognition Program (Boss Bucks)

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.
For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.

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