Food And Bev R&D Commercialization Manager

Manager – R&D & Commercialization

Location: Burlington, NC (On-Site)

Job Type: Full-Time

About the Opportunity

Our client, an established and growing food and beverage manufacturer, is seeking a Manager of R&D & Commercialization to lead product development, scale-up, and commercialization initiatives across multiple product categories, including dairy, non-dairy, beverages, frozen novelties, aerosol products, and related food segments.

This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for driving projects from concept to commercialization while partnering closely with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Procurement, Sales, and customers to successfully bring innovative products to market.

What You'll Do

• Lead new product development and commercialization projects from concept through market launch.
• Develop formulations, product specifications, process parameters, and commercialization plans.
• Manage pilot plant trials, plant validations, startup activities, and first production runs.
• Collaborate with Operations and Engineering teams to ensure products are scalable and manufacturable.
• Troubleshoot formulation, processing, shelf-life, and product performance challenges.
• Support customer innovation efforts and participate in technical presentations.
• Conduct root cause investigations related to product quality, consumer feedback, and commercialization issues.
• Partner with Quality and Regulatory teams to ensure compliance with FDA, food safety, labeling, and quality standards.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting aggressive timelines and business objectives.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to R&D team members and cross-functional stakeholders.

QualificationsEducation

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Chemical Engineering, Food Engineering, or a related technical field required.

Experience

• 8-12 years of progressive experience in food and beverage product development and commercialization.
• Minimum of 5 years leading commercialization projects from concept through full-scale manufacturing.
• Experience with plant trials, process validation, scale-up activities, and production startups.
• Strong cross-functional experience working with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Procurement teams.
• Solid understanding of food manufacturing processes and commercialization requirements.

Desired Skills

• Product Development
• Commercialization & Scale-Up
• Project Management
• Cross-Functional Leadership
• Process Optimization
• Root Cause Analysis
• Continuous Improvement
• Consumer Complaint Investigation
• Customer-Facing Technical Support
• Strong Communication and Presentation Skills

Key Measures of Success

• Successful commercialization and launch of new products
• Effective execution of plant trials and manufacturing startups
• Achievement of project milestones and timelines
• Product quality, stability, and performance
• Customer satisfaction and responsiveness
• Execution of innovation pipeline initiatives

Benefits

Our client offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, career growth opportunities, professional development, and the opportunity to contribute to innovative products within a collaborative manufacturing environment.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Burlington, NC.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $48.00 - $48.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Burlington,NC.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 4, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [email protected] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.