Food Lab Tech Jobs Near Me

About the CompanyOur client is a rapidly growing frozen food manufacturer with a strong portfolio of branded products and robust in-house manufacturing capabilities. The organization is committed to innovation, operational excellence, and delivering high-quality frozen foods to consumers nationwide.Position OverviewThe Senior Food Technologist will be responsible for the development, optimization, and commercialization of frozen food products from concept through launch. This role plays a key part in driving innovation, improving existing products, and supporting manufacturing scale-up efforts while ensuring quality, food safety, sensory performance, and cost objectives are achieved.The ideal candidate brings deep technical expertise in frozen food systems, ingredient functionality, commercialization, and plant support within a high-volume food manufacturing environment.Key ResponsibilitiesProduct Development & CommercializationDevelop and optimize formulations for frozen foods including entrees, sauces, vegetables, snacks, and ready mealsConduct bench-top development, pilot plant trials, and plant-scale validationsLead commercialization activities from lab through full-scale manufacturingEnsure products achieve targeted taste, texture, appearance, nutritional, and shelf-life requirementsSupport innovation initiatives as well as renovation and optimization of existing productsFrozen Food Technical ExpertiseApply knowledge of freezing technologies including IQF and blast freezing systemsOptimize formulations to reduce ice crystal formation, freezer burn, moisture migration, and texture degradationTroubleshoot product performance challenges related to frozen storage and reheating conditionsEvaluate ingredient functionality and processing interactions within frozen food applicationsManufacturing & Plant SupportPartner closely with Operations teams during production startup and commercialization activitiesTroubleshoot plant-related processing and formulation challengesDevelop and maintain detailed product specifications, process parameters, and manufacturing documentationEnsure consistency and manufacturability across production environmentsCost Optimization & Continuous ImprovementIdentify cost-saving opportunities through ingredient optimization and process improvementsSupport productivity and value engineering initiatives without compromising product qualityAnalyze formulation and production data to recommend technical improvementsQuality & ComplianceEnsure compliance with FDA, USDA, HACCP, GMP, SQF, and internal food safety standardsSupport shelf-life studies and frozen product stability validationWork cross-functionally with Packaging, Quality, Procurement, and Marketing teams to support business objectivesInterface with ingredient and packaging suppliers to evaluate new technologies and materialsQualificationsBachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, or related technical field5–10+ years of food R&D experience with strong frozen food expertise preferredExperience commercializing products from bench development through plant-scale productionStrong understanding of frozen food systems, ingredient functionality, and thermal processingExperience with frozen entrees, ready meals, snacks, vegetables, sauces, or related categories preferredStrong project management and organizational skillsExcellent analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving capabilitiesAbility to balance quality, speed-to-market, and cost objectivesStrong communication and cross-functional collaboration skillsPreferred ExperienceFrozen CPG manufacturingUSDA/FDA regulated food manufacturing environmentsCommercialization and plant startup supportShelf-life and sensory evaluation workValue engineering and cost reduction projectsMulti-functional collaboration within high-volume manufacturing operations