Product Development Process Manager

Crofters is growing and we are seeking an energetic, reliable & flexible team player to join our Finance Team. Here’s your chance to join a highly skilled team of professionals at one of North America’s pioneering brands in the organic food movement! Crofters Food Ltd, known in the grocery aisles as Crofters Organic Fruit Spreads, is the leading manufacturer of organic jams, jellies and fruit spreads in North America. Headquartered in picturesque Parry Sound, Ontario, about two hours north of Toronto, we manufacture a vast array of fruit-based spreads sold in stores across Canada, the United States, and select international markets. From the way we source our fruit, to the way we carefully manufacture our products using forward-thinking sustainable processing techniques, to our innovative, health-conscious formulations, every aspect of our operations receives the care and attention they deserve. A small but mighty team, with the support of a US based private equity firm, join us as we look to aggressively scale our business on our mission to become one of the leading organic food brands in North America.

Position Overview:

We are seeking an experienced and innovative Product Development Manager to lead our dynamic team in the creation and execution of cutting-edge food products. As a pivotal figure in our organization, you will be instrumental in driving the ideation, development, and launch of new offerings while enhancing and optimizing existing product lines. The ideal candidate possesses a proven track record in food Product Development, a keen eye for market trends, exceptional leadership skills, and a passion for delivering high-quality, consumer-centric products. If you thrive in a collaborative environment, are driven by innovation, and have a strong blend of strategic thinking and hands-on execution, we invite you to join our team and be at the forefront of shaping the future of our product portfolio.

The duties and responsibilities of the Product Development Process Manager will be as follows:

1. In collaboration with VP Sales and Marketing and the broader management team, assist in the ideation and conceptualization of new product ideas that are consumer centric and fit with the brand’s positioning and goals within the market.

2. Lead the recipe development and maintenance process, ensuring that recipes meet expectations for taste, texture, and nutritional values while maintaining a conscious approach to the cost implications of how recipes are developed and how they fit within the business’ financial goals.

3. In collaboration with the Food Safety and Quality Assurance team, support the ongoing review and analysis of nutritional information for any new or existing products, ensuring that all nutritional information is accurate and compliant with all legislative/regulatory requirements.

4. Be the thought-engine behind the new Product Development Process, working closely with the sales and marketing teams, as well as senior leadership to identify Product Development opportunities that fill a need/void in the market, fit the brands consumer targets, and provide strong incrementality to the business’ financial profile.

5. Lead the product testing/trial process by using your food science and Product Development experience to create benchtop concepts which closely match the desired outcomes of the product, while keeping scalability/commercialization ability in focus throughout the conceptualization process.

6. Conduct frequent market research on new trends, developments in manufacturing processes, new ingredients, and other developments which may benefit the company. Provide frequent reporting of research to relevant stakeholders in the organization.

7. Develop strong understanding of internal manufacturing processes to aid in the determination of whether innovation concepts can be self-manufactured or whether 3rd party co-manufacturing will be required. Conduct research into the availability and capacity of co-manufacturers to support innovation projects which require outside support.

8. In collaboration with Supply Chain team, ensure that commercial availability of organic ingredients required for the development/commercialization of the new product concept will be available and that costing of ingredients allows for execution within the financial parameters for the project.

9. Develop and maintain an internal sensory testing protocol for all new and existing items, ensuring that taste, texture, smell, and visual appearance of products is consistent. Ensure other stakeholders within the company remain apprised of the ongoing sensory testing outcomes.

10. Support the Food Safety and Quality Assurance team in determining the regulatory requirements for product labelling, nutritional declaration, standards of identification, and other regulatory requirements for any new Product Developments.

11. Maintain detailed records of the Product Development Process, including records of recipes, formulations, processes, and testing results.

12. Support the oversight/management of the scale up process from concept to product launch, ensuring that projects are managed in an organized and orderly manner, and that there is strong communication across relevant departments/stakeholders to move projects forward without complications.

13. Approach each day with the goal of continuous improvement, constantly looking for ways to improve existing or new products and processes. Actively share improvement ideas with other relevant stakeholders within the organization.

Required experience and skills:

· Relevant work experience in Product Development/R+D, ideally with direct experience in fruit and vegetable processing industry, including jams, jellies, and fruit spreads.

· 5+ years experience in progressively responsible positions, demonstrating a track record of success in developing and executing Product Development strategies in alignment with the company’s objectives.

· Strong understanding of food science, ingredient functionality, food safety regulations, and production processes is crucial.

· Strong problem-solving capabilities, able to troubleshoot recipes, processes, nutritional challenges, etc. independently and provide recommendations to the broader management team.

· Experience with identification and vetting of co-manufacturers to support in the development and scale up of product innovation projects.

· Exceptional organizational skills, ability to balance the needs of various projects and ensure that timelines and milestones are met.

· Bachelor's degree in food science, food technology, nutrition, or a related field is required. Additional degrees or certifications in business management, project management or other related fields is considered advantageous.

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: $35.00-$53.00 per hour

Expected hours: 40 per week

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Company events
• On-site parking
• RRSP match
• Vision care

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Supplemental pay types:

• Overtime pay

Work Location: In person