R&D Commercialization Manager - Sevillo

Woodland Foods • West Jordan, UT

1d

About The Position

The R&D / Commercialization Manager plays a key role in ensuring the successful development and launch of newly approved products from inception through production / launch, as well as continuous improvement. Success as the R&D Commercialization Manager requires strong food science knowledge, technical problem-solving skills, effective communication, and a hands-on, detail-driven approach to project management. As this role is critical to our mission of developing innovative, custom solutions that deliver exceptional taste, texture, and functionality for our clients in the restaurant and foodservice industry, this candidate will have proven experience in elevating technical / flavor capability to develop competitive, differentiated solutions.

Collaboration and teamwork are essential skills, working alongside the Sales, Culinary/R&D, Quality, Operations, Procurement and customer teams to cover all facets of formulations, processes, packaging, shelf-life, storage, specifications, ingredient substitutions and/or changes.

This role will report directly to the VP of Culinary at Sevillo, with a dotted line reporting structure to both the Director of R&D and Director of Corporate Project Management. The ideal candidate has a proven track record of working collaboratively with restaurant chain Research & Development (R&D) and culinary teams to create tailored products that drive menu differentiation and consumer appeal.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, or related field
• Minimum 10+ years of direct experience in food product development and commercialization with food service channel experience focused on collaborating with restaurant chain R&D and culinary teams.
• Experience working in manufacturing factories, R&D labs, & pilot plants.
• Experience in products with a wide variety of applications.
• Strong understanding of food processing, packaging, shelf-life, and regulatory requirements (FDA, USDA).
• Technical experience in elevating product differentiation through flavors.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office 365, ERP systems, and strong math skills.
• HACCP certified (or willing to complete within 90 days).

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual in English and Spanish (preferred).

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end product development from ideation, formulation, and benchtop creation to full-scale commercialization.
• Product development within Sevillo, Woodland Gourmet and Idan product categories, aligned with customer and market trends.
• Collaborate with flavor houses and ingredient suppliers to craft innovative, on-trend flavor profiles.
• Stay current on food trends, consumer preferences, and emerging technologies to identify new product opportunities.
• Generate and refine prototypes to support internal reviews and customer presentations.
• Manage all aspects of commercialization including formulation, ingredient approvals, process development, shelf-life, packaging, and specification creation.
• Oversee and support plant trials, production start-ups, and early runs to ensure product quality, sensory expectations, and consistency.
• Conduct feasibility assessments, scale-up evaluations, shelf-life testing, labeling verification, and specification development.
• Ensure seamless transition of new concepts into production by managing risk, driving problem resolution, and ensuring cross-functional alignment.
• Lead multiple development and commercialization projects, ensuring milestones, deliverables, and timelines are met.
• Scope projects accurately, plan and execute experiments, analyze results, and document findings with technical recommendations.
• Maintain project updates, technical documentation, and customer communication through appropriate systems and portals.
• Serve as a technical liaison between R&D, Culinary, Sales, Marketing, Operations, Quality, Procurement, and customers.
• Partner directly with customers to understand their needs, present solutions, and guide formula revisions through to approval.
• Communicate formula changes, ingredient substitutions, and technical updates in writing and in meetings.
• Ensure accurate and timely communication of technical data, launch status, and project progress to all stakeholders.
• Ensure all products meet regulatory, food safety (SQF, HACCP), labeling, and customer-specific requirements.
• Support continuous improvement of existing formulas to enhance food safety, product quality, efficiency, and yields.
• Maintain documentation for formulations, SOPs, specs, nutrition panels, and labeling requirements.
• Participate in HACCP and food safety teams and comply with GMPs and all workplace safety procedures.
• Act as a technical subject matter expert on product formulation, ingredient functionality, and process optimization.
• Provide technical support to foodservice, retail, and industrial customers, as well as internal departments.
• Assist in training team members and supporting the organization and maintenance of the test kitchen.
• Maintain working knowledge of production equipment, processing systems, and company capabilities.

Benefits

• medical
• prescription drug plans
• dental
• life insurance
• short-term and long-term disability
• vision insurance
• flexible spending account
• health savings account
• tuition reimbursement
• employee assistance program
• voluntary benefits (hospital, critical illness, personal accident, legal & identify theft)
• 401k with company match
• paid family leave
• paid holidays
• paid time off

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level