Food Service Lead - Product Development (US)

Food Service Lead – Product Development (US)

Agrana Fruit is a global leader in delivering healthy and delicious food solutions across categories including frozen and refrigerated dairy, bakery, coffee, ice cream and Food Service. As we expand our footprint in the U.S. Food Service channel, we are looking for a highly capable Food Service Lead – Product Development to drive innovation, commercialization, and technical excellence in this fast-growing segment.

This newly created role partners closely with Category, Sales, Marketing and Operations to define and deliver the Food Service product pipeline. The ideal candidate brings strong technical depth, leadership capabilities, and hands-on experience with applications relevant to Food Service environments.

Key Accountabilities:

Product Development & Commercialization

• Lead end-to-end development of Food Service products (e.g., syrups, sauces, toppings, bakery inclusions, frozen dessert components, etc.) for a broad range of customer accounts.
• Manage the full innovation cycle: customer briefs, scoping, formulation, prototyping, sensory evaluations, documentation, scale up, commercialization, and post launch reviews.
• Design and execute DOEs for new processes, ensuring smooth transition from benchtop pilot full-scale production.
• Prioritize and coordinate experimental and analytical testing within the broader NPD team, ensuring efficient allocation of resources.

Food Service Applications & Lab Leadership

• Build and manage the Food Service applications lab; define testing protocols and evaluate performance under real FS operating conditions (e.g., dispensers, blenders, soft serve, holding times, thermal cycling).
• Provide technical expertise on food service equipment, preparation methods, and product behavior in operational settings.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Sales and Marketing to translate customer needs and market trends into actionable development projects.
• Align with Procurement and suppliers on raw materials, packaging development, and ingredient qualifications.
• Support feasibility assessments, regulatory reviews, and compliance (quality, safety, labeling).
• Drive complex projects requiring new process development; design and execute DOEs to optimize processes for successful scale‑up, partnering closely with Technical Service.

Project & People Leadership

• Lead multiple concurrent projects with clear prioritization, timelines, and stakeholder communication.
• Develop, coach and manage a small team (2–3) of Product Developers.
• Maintain accurate and timely status reports for senior leadership.

Required Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Chemical Engineering, or related STEM field.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in food or ingredient product development, ideally with exposure to Food Service channels.
• Strong formulation and commercialization experience, including scaling from bench pilot production.
• Knowledge of packaging development, testing, and shelf-life evaluation.
• Understanding regulatory standards, quality systems, and customer specific requirements.
• Experience with beverage, coffee, or culinary applications is a plus.
• High proficiency in technical and business tools; SAP & JMP experience preferred.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving and cross-functional leadership skills.

Agrana Fruit offers a competitive salary and provides an excellent benefits package. Benefits offered by Agrana are designed to promote wellness and the well-being of every Agrana employee. If interested, email us at [email protected] or apply today!