Food Science - R&D Technician

Job Title: R&D Technician

Job Description

The R&D Technician will assist in the development of new and improved products and packages. This role involves providing technical support and project work in laboratory, pilot plant, and plant environments. The technician will support, implement, and maintain food safety practices. Requests come from the business, and the team executes projects in categories such as Flavor, Pilot Plant Studies, Front End Formulation/Product Development work, or new product start-ups.

Responsibilities

• Participate in the development, scale-up, and production of new and improved products, packages, or test lot materials through formulation and test kitchen studies.
• Operate laboratory equipment in a consistent and accurate manner according to approved methods, including blending, mixing, and analyzing sugar, fat, and salt content.
• Understand and comply with all food safety and food manufacturing policies and procedures, adhering to GMP, Food Safety, and quality claims and documentation standards.
• Evaluate raw material changes, nutritional content, food safety/claims, cost, and production optimizations for projects.

Essential Skills

• Experience in food science, laboratory work, and food product development.
• Knowledge of food safety practices.
• Skills in culinary arts, R&D, and new product development.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor"s degree in Food Science, Culinary Science, or other Life Science field preferred.
• 1+ year of food product development or formulation experience, which can be from academic or industry projects.
• Exposure to a pilot plant or food manufacturing environment is highly preferred.

Work Environment

The work schedule is Monday through Thursday from 7:00-7:30 AM to 3:00 PM on-site, with Fridays typically being remote but occasionally on-site based on project needs and pilot plant runs. The workweek is 32-40 hours, depending on workload. The position is based at the North America R&D Center, working in pilot plant, laboratory, and test kitchen settings. This is a highly collaborative R&D team supporting product development across various business lines. The facility is clean and well-maintained, with a strong safety record and approximately 600 test runs annually. This is a fast-paced, hands-on environment where no two days are the same.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Bloomington, MN.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $22.00 - $24.00/hr.

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 Bloomington,MN.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Jul 7, 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 actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com 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.