Senior Product Developer

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Liaison with Sunrise Farms ownership, senior leadership, and other cross functional teams such as QA, Supply Chain and manufacturing personnel, to assist in the development of concepts from ideation through trials and commercialization.
• Conduct and oversee weekly sensory assessments of products at Head Office to gather consumer feedback and evaluate product quality and customer appeal.
• Generate sensory review menus.
• Prepare relevant documentation and data for executive and customer presentations.
• Manage presentation of products and evaluation process and document feedback.
• Circulate results to Product Developers and ensure follow-up is completed.
• Act as the main liaison for the Primary division customer portals, ensuring timely and accurate updates for key accounts.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Sales, Operations, QA, Regulatory Affairs, and Procurement to support product launches and improvements.
• Develop and maintain product formulations, specifications, and label copy documents (e.g., ingredient lists, nutrient content claims, health claims).
• Create cooking instructions that optimize the consumer experience.
• Monitor competitive trends and conduct evaluations of market samples to update development strategy.
• Ensure all projects comply with internal policies and external regulations, including CFIA, FDA, and Advertising Standards of Canada.
• Create and maintain product development schedules to meet project deadlines and ensure stakeholder satisfaction.
• Provide regulatory guidance to internal stakeholders on new formulations or changes.
• Brainstorm new product ideas, research market trends, analyze competitor products, and identify consumer needs to develop innovative and commercially viable concepts. 
• Create and test new and existing formulas, develop recipes, and conduct benchtop and pilot plant experiments to validate product concepts and manufacturing processes. 
• Execute projects from initial concept to commercial launch, manage timelines, resources, and budgets, and ensure seamless integration into existing manufacturing systems. 
• Understand various ingredients, manufacturing processes, and packaging to ensure products are feasible, high-quality, and cost-effective. 
• Ensure all new products and ingredients comply with applicable food legislation, as well as manage and maintain brand guidelines and product standards. 
• Apply strong troubleshooting skills to overcome challenges that arise during product development and manufacturing. 

REQUIRED SKILL, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• Post-secondary education in Food Science, Engineering, Culinary Arts, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in R&D/Product Development, culinary, and project management within the food industry, preferably in meat processing.
• Experience managing corporate-level projects and working with customer-facing platforms is highly desirable.
• Experience in leading projects, presenting to cross-functional teams, and communicating results with customers and stakeholders.
• Strong working knowledge of the food industry – particularly further processing.
• Experience in a relevant managerial role is an asset.
• Ability to interpret relevant market data and apply to product development as needed.
• Problem-solving and troubleshooting ability.
• Excellent project and time management skills.
• Strong technical background in food science is essential for formula validation, ingredient selection, and understanding manufacturing processes. 
• Ability to plan, organize, and manage projects from start to finish, ensuring on-time delivery and adherence to budget. 
• Deep understanding of current and future food and industry trends, and the ability to translate these into actionable product development strategies. 
• Ability to lead project teams and collaborate effectively with various departments and stakeholders. 
• Strong oral and written communication skills to present new product research, proposals, and results to support sales and marketing efforts. 

COMPETENCIES AND ATTRIBUTES:

• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• High proficiency in Microsoft Office, label software, and GENESIS.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• A self-starter with a passion for product development and innovation.
• Creative and flexible, with the ability to adapt to evolving customer and market needs.
• Detail-oriented with strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Comfortable working in lab, office, and refrigerated plant environments.
• Willingness to travel between facilities and evaluate food products, including meat and plant-based alternatives.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Onsite office hours, Mon- Fri
• In plant environment with cold refrigeration
• Food Product Development Scientist III – 50%
• Product Development Analyst III – 50%