Senior Product Developer

Our client in the food industry in Mississauga, ON is looking for a Senior Product Developer (NPD & Commercialization) to join their growing team.

The Senior Product Developer (NPD & Commercialization) is a senior technical and leadership role responsible for owning the execution of product development and commercialization activities from concept through launch. This position serves as the operational lead within R&D, ensuring that products are designed for manufacturability, packaging, compliance, and scale-up, and are fully ready for production at the time of launch.

Reporting to the Director of R&D, this role acts as a key bridge between R&D, Operations, QA, Supply Chain, Packaging, Sales, and Finance. The position is accountable for translating innovation and customer requirements into commercially viable, scalable, and production-ready products, while enforcing disciplined stage-gate execution, robust documentation, and strong cross-functional alignment.

This role is suited for a highly organized, hands-on product development professional with strong commercialization experience and demonstrated leadership capability, who can support and guide others while remaining deeply involved in technical execution.




Advantages
• Competitive salary and company benefits
• Opportunities for professional learning, development, and growth
• Working with a fun, exciting, and supportive team

Responsibilities
Product Development & Commercialization Leadership
•Own the execution of product development and commercialization projects, ensuring clear scope, timelines, responsibilities, and deliverables from concept through launch.
•Lead products through all development stages, including bench-top development, feasibility trials, plant trials, and first production.
•Ensure products are technically and operationally ready for launch, with validated formulations, processes, packaging, specifications, and documentation.
•Review and validate formulations, ingredients, and nutritional information to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, clean label standards, and customer and market expectations.
•Partner with QA, Regulatory, and Supply Chain to ensure ingredient selections meet functional, nutritional, labeling, and cost targets throughout development and commercialization.
•Proactively identify technical, operational, packaging, supply, and compliance risks and drive mitigation plans early in the development cycle.

Scale-Up, Launch Readiness & Stage-Gate Discipline
•Lead and enforce stage-gate discipline, ensuring projects meet defined readiness criteria before progressing.
•Partner with Operations to ensure products are designed for manufacturability on existing and new production lines.
•Plan, coordinate, and lead production trials, and support first productions, ensuring structured execution, clear ownership, and documented outcomes.
•Ensure learnings from trials are captured, documented, and incorporated into final product designs, formulations, and specifications.

Packaging Design & Commercial Integration
•Own R&D input into packaging design and commercialization, ensuring packaging solutions are fit for product performance, shelf life, food safety, line efficiency, and customer requirements.
•Lead packaging selection and development in collaboration with Operations, QA, Supply Chain, and external packaging suppliers.
•Ensure packaging solutions are compatible with line capabilities, automation, case packing, palletization, and distribution requirements.
•Support development and validation of packaging specifications, packaging BOMs, and packaging-related SOPs.
•Identify packaging-related risks early and ensure testing and validation during feasibility trials, plant trials, and first productions.

Cross-Functional Coordination & Stakeholder Management
•Act as the primary R&D interface for Operations, QA, Supply Chain, Packaging, Finance, and Sales on commercialization projects.
•Ensure cross-functional alignment on timelines, costs, capacity, and launch readiness.
•Support customer-facing initiatives by providing technical input, feasibility assessments, and execution plans.
•Partner with Finance and Supply Chain to support accurate costing, BOM integrity, and margin targets.

Documentation, Systems & R&D Execution Excellence
•Ensure accurate, complete, and timely R&D documentation, including formulations, BOMs, specifications, SOPs, trial reports, and packaging documentation.
•Drive consistent and effective use of ERP, formulation, and documentation systems to support scalable R&D execution.
•Work in close collaboration with R&D Continuous Improvement to identify gaps in processes, tools, and communication and implement practical improvements.
•Support SR&ED and internal reporting requirements through disciplined documentation and traceability.


Leadership, Coaching & Team Development
•Provide technical guidance, direction, and day-to-day support to R&D team members as needed.
•Act as a mentor and coach, supporting the development of less experienced team members and reinforcing R&D best practices.
•Contribute to building R&D capability, structure, and discipline as the team and organization continue to grow.
•Support the Director of R&D as an operational backup and escalation point when required.


Qualifications
•Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, or a related scientific discipline, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
•Minimum 8 years of experience in food product development, preferably within baked goods or commercial food manufacturing.
•Proven experience leading product commercialization and scale-up in a manufacturing environment.
•Demonstrated experience integrating packaging design into product development and launch execution.
•Strong understanding of ingredient functionality, formulation development, nutrition, regulatory compliance, and clean label considerations.
•Solid knowledge of food manufacturing processes, equipment, and production constraints.
•Demonstrated leadership capability, including experience coaching, mentoring, or guiding others in a technical environment.
•Highly organized, structured, and disciplined in project execution and documentation.
•Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
•Proficiency in MS Office, ERP systems, and formulation/nutrition software (e.g., Genesis or similar).
•Ability to work in a food allergen environment (wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, etc.).
•Willingness to support plant trials, line commissioning, and travel as required.


Summary
If this is the position for you, APPLY ONLINE or email resume to Mina Khalil at mina.khalil@randstad.ca
Only qualified candidates will be contacted.
Please visit www.randstad.ca for a complete list of opportunities

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