Senior R & D Manager

SENIOR R&D MANAGER

COMPANY SUMMARY (“Who are we?”)

We are The Honest Kitchen. We’re a team of pet-obsessed foodies who put our heart and soul into our work – making a line of human-grade whole foods, treats, and supplements for dogs and cats. We’re a rapidly growing business that is a proud B Corp, was named one of Outside Magazine’s Best Places to Work for 6 straight years, and certified as a Great Place to Work!

We strive for an inclusive work culture that supports a diverse array of skills, experiences, and perspectives our employees bring to the table. For us, differences are a source of strength. We celebrate strong performance and ethical processes, and we work hard every day to nurture an inclusive culture where all employees can innovate and thrive. Here, you will not only build your career, but you will also uncover new experiences and collaborate with passionate colleagues.

The Honest Kitchen values a diverse workforce. Women, people of color, people with disabilities and members of the LGBTQIA+ community are strongly encouraged to apply. The Honest Kitchen believes that an equitable and inclusive work environment and a diverse, empowered team are key to achieving our mission. We’re looking for candidates who can expand our business culture by bringing their whole, authentic selves to work. We strive to provide all qualified candidates with an equitable and accessible recruitment process.

POSITION SUMMARY ("What are we looking for")

We have an exciting new position as a full-time Senior R&D Manager, reporting directly to the VP of Product and working closely with the Sr. Innovation Manager at The Honest Kitchen. This role is remote, with company headquarters in San Diego, CA. You will be responsible for taking product concepts to commercialize premium quality human-grade pet food and treat products. This position is part of a cross-functional team working closely with product, marketing, manufacturing, quality, and regulatory to bring new products to market.

Day to day, you’ll be responsible for developing and maintaining product formulations and optimizing costs while continually improving runability and consistency for new and existing product SKUs. You will play a crucial role in the company's innovation roadmap success by transforming marketing briefs into commercialized products while also identifying and reporting on project risks through stage gates. Your duties will include managing formulations, conducting plant trials, budgeting for trials, and determining formulation costs that meet the desired product claims.

We are looking for a candidate with a strong background in meat science principles related to the manufacturing of pet foods, including kibble, wet food, dehydrated blends, treats, and supplements. The ideal candidate should have experience in pre-commercialization product testing, including managing plant trials and testing protocols. Additionally, we are looking for a candidate with an understanding of product shelf stability and who is familiar with regulations from AAFCO, FDA, USDA-APHIS, FSMA, and NASC as they relate to pet food products. We are seeking candidates who will prioritize food safety, pet safety, and product quality.

SCOPE OF POSITION

• Proven track record of developing pet foods and treats, with strong technical and nutritional experience.
• Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams to turn ideas into reality in a fast-paced product development environment.
• Experience with food processes, e.g. extrusion, thermal processing, or baking.
• Responsible for improving and maintaining product formulations.
• Experienced with pre-commercialization product testing, including an understanding of preparedness requirements at plant trials, and comfortable making decisions at trial.
• Maintain accurate and detailed records of formulation trials, ingredient specifications, and regulatory compliance.
• Manage and communicate technical complexity and project updates with internal and external partners.
• Identify and report project risks for stage gate approval
• Accountability will include formulating ingredient recommendations, interpreting nutritional analytical data, setting up and interpreting acceptability studies, and shelf-life stability results.
• Ensuring scale-up to commissioning production is well documented and executed for on-time successful launches.
• Develop, Manage, and track the R&D Budget.
• Manage multiple complex projects from concept to launch and flex prioritization based on business needs.
• Availability to travel to co-manufacturing partners, mostly located in the Mid-West, up to 50% of the time.
  
  
  

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED (“What are we looking for?”)

• Bachelor's degree in food, animal, or meat science, food engineering, or related field experience with 5+ years of product development and commercialization experiences
• 5+ years of successful hands-on experience with product development from prototype to commercialization
• Strong knowledge of ingredient functionality
• Demonstrated strong leadership skills with agility to adapt quickly to changes in project scope.
• Strong written, presentation, and verbal communication skills with strong attention to detail
• Strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Proven track record in balancing immediate and long-term priorities
• Comfortable tackling a new problem or situation without all the information
• Highly performance and results-driven and want to take on a high level of responsibility and work in a fast-paced, high-growth environment
• Growth mindset with a collaborative, influence-driven work style
• Clear commercial acumen and strong general management savvy
• Collaborative team player and team builder who excels at partnering and influencing decision making at all levels of the organization
• Visionary, positive, and energetic leader that fosters a unique, diverse, and winning culture
• Someone who loves pets as much as we do!
  
  
  

BENEFITS OF WORKING FOR THE HONEST KITCHEN (“What do we offer?”)

We offer a competitive compensation package, including salary and robust employee benefits. Some key highlights include:

• Time off: We offer a highly competitive time off schedule, including unlimited vacation, sick time, in addition to a generous company-paid holiday schedule.
• Benefits: Various health insurance plans with generous employer contributions to premiums. We also offer vision, dental, short-term disability, long-term disability, accident, critical illness, an employee assistance program, and an FSA.
• Financial wellness: Enjoy perks like a company 401K with an employer match.
• Mission Driven: Employees can take up to 40 hours of volunteer time a year, and we offer donations matching to non-profit organizations of your choosing.
• Pet Friendly: Pet-friendly offices, zoom calls, discounts on pet insurance, and of course, free pet food!
• Collaborative Team: We offer a fun, team-oriented work environment where you feel like you are making a difference every day.
  
  
  

The salary range for this role is $90,000-$130,000/annually.

• The Honest Kitchen is an equal opportunity employer. The Company’s policy prohibits discrimination based on race, religious creed (which includes religious dress and grooming practices), color, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status.