Job Summary
Food Scientist / R&D Manager
Company: Vigo Importing Company
Location: Tampa, FL (Hybrid considered)
Reports to:
VP Operations / General Manager / VP Innovation
Works closely with: Quality Assurance, Marketing, Operations, Procurement
Role Overview
Vigo Importing Company, a Tampa-based, multi-generational, family business and a leader in the food importing and distribution industry since 1947, is seeking a Food Scientist / R&D Manager.
The Food Scientist / R&D Manager serves as the technical owner of product formulation, ingredient functionality, and scale-up across a growing portfolio of shelf-stable food products.
This role does not own Quality Assurance or regulatory compliance, but works in close partnership with QA to ensure all technical decisions are safe, compliant, and production-ready.
Core Responsibilities
Product Development, Innovation & Reformulation
- Lead formulation and reformulation of shelf-stable food products to meet sensory, functional, cost, and shelf-life objectives
- Evaluate opportunities to simplify ingredient statements, improve label friendliness, and modernize formulations without compromising performance
- Support the company?s innovation pipeline by translating marketing and consumer insights into technically viable products
- Own bench-top development, pilot trials, and scale-up to commercial production
- Work with QA to assess food safety implications and confirm formulations align with approved limits and documentation requirements.
Ingredient Technical Specifications
- Develop internally defined, fit-for-use ingredient specifications based on functional performance, process behavior, and product requirements (COA requirements)
- Establish acceptable ranges and tolerances that balance performance, quality consistency, and supply flexibility
- Define approved ingredient alternatives and functional equivalency criteria to support sourcing flexibility and cost-down initiatives
- Work with QA to incorporate food safety parameters, allergen status, COA requirements, and formal approval into controlled specification documents.
Product Specifications & Performance Criteria
- Define product-level technical targets (pH, water activity, viscosity, texture, sensory benchmarks, stability expectations, etc.)
- Support shelf-life strategy through formulation decisions and ingredient selection
- Troubleshoot formulation-driven performance or consistency issues across production and co-manufacturers
- Work with QA to ensure product specs are measurable, defensible, and aligned with safety and compliance standards.
Scale-Up & Manufacturing Support
- Lead technical transfer from development to production at internal facilities and co-manufacturers
- Support process optimization related to formulation, ingredient handling, and processing conditions
- Investigate and resolve formulation-driven production issues
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Technical Leadership
- Partner closely with Sales/Marketing to:
- Evaluate the feasibility of new product concepts
- Support innovation briefs with technical input
- Align formulation capabilities with consumer and category trends
- Provide technical input to Procurement on ingredient sourcing, supplier changes, and reformulation opportunities
- Serve as the internal subject-matter expert on ingredient functionality and processing behavior
- Act as the technical interface with ingredient suppliers, co-manufacturers, and external laboratories
- Support the Customer Service department with addressing inquiries related to technical product attributes.
- Assist with providing technical data sheets and COAs for commercial customers.
Qualifications
- Bachelor?s degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, or related discipline (Master?s preferred)
- 5 10+ years of hands-on food formulation and commercialization experience
- Experience with shelf-stable food systems (sauces, condiments, dry blends, acidified foods, or similar)
- Strong understanding of ingredient functionality, processing impacts, and scale-up
- Familiarity with consumer and ingredient trends in the food industry
- HACCP training or certification is a plus, but not required
- Ability to work cross-functionally in a fast-moving, collaborative environment
Benefits
- Health Insurance
- PTO
- Profit Sharing
- Bonuses
- Competitive Salary
How to Apply
Interested candidates should submit their application online using the link below.
Apply Now
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