R&D Manager, Baked Goods

R&D Manager - Bakery

London, Ontario | Food Manufacturing

A well-established and growing premium baked goods manufacturer is looking to appoint an experienced R&D Manager to lead product development and technical innovation from its manufacturing site in London, Ontario.

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone with a strong bakery science and product development background, who enjoys taking products from initial concept and bench development through plant trials, scale-up and full commercialization.

You'll work closely with Production, Quality, Operations, Supply Chain, Finance and Commercial teams, acting as the technical lead on new product development, reformulation, cost improvement and process optimisation.

The Role

• Lead the development and commercialization of new bakery products from concept through to manufacturing launch.
• Manage multiple R&D and technical projects simultaneously, establishing timelines, priorities, resources and deliverables.
• Take ownership of product improvement, reformulation, quality enhancement and cost-reduction initiatives.
• Lead and develop a small R&D team, providing direction, coaching, project oversight and performance feedback.
• Partner with Operations, QA and other technical teams to introduce new products, ingredients, processes and equipment into production.
• Plan and conduct laboratory and plant trials, interpret results and translate findings into practical recommendations.
• Troubleshoot formulation, ingredient and processing issues and work with manufacturing teams to identify effective solutions.
• Develop and maintain product formulations, process specifications and technical documentation.
• Provide hands-on technical support during factory trials, scale-up and new product launches.
• Assess technical and commercial risks associated with new products and process changes and communicate recommendations to key stakeholders.
• Support wider manufacturing initiatives including new capabilities, process improvements, productivity gains and cost optimisation.
• Ensure knowledge and specifications are effectively transferred to Quality and Operations teams.
• Work closely with cross-functional stakeholders to ensure projects remain on track and products are successfully commercialized.

What We're Looking For

• Degree in Food Science, Food Engineering or a related discipline, with strong knowledge of baking science.
• 5+ years' experience within bakery, food product development or food manufacturing.
• At least 3 years' experience leading or supervising an R&D/product development team.
• Proven experience taking food products through formulation, prototyping, plant trials, scale-up and commercialization.
• Strong understanding of bakery ingredients, formulations and manufacturing processes.
• Excellent practical/bench development and troubleshooting skills.
• Comfortable working directly on the manufacturing floor and translating technical solutions into scalable processes.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to design trials, evaluate results and make evidence-based recommendations.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively across technical and commercial functions.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office and familiarity with ERP and document-management systems.
• Understanding of US and Canadian food regulations and standards.
• Culinary training or professional baking experience would be an advantage.
• Flexible enough to support occasional extended hours around plant trials and commercialization activity.
• Willingness to travel periodically, with travel expected to be up to approximately 30%.

Why This Opportunity?

This is an opportunity to join a growing bakery manufacturing business with a strong reputation for premium products and continued investment in innovation and manufacturing capability.

You'll have genuine ownership of the site's R&D agenda, with the opportunity to influence new product development, product quality, manufacturing efficiency and future growth.

If you're an experienced bakery R&D professional looking for a role where you can combine technical development, hands-on problem solving and team leadership, I'd be interested in speaking with you.