Senior Manager, Research & Development, Pet Food - Wet

Education: 

• Required Bachelor’s degree in Animal Nutrition, Food Science, Pet Food Science, Meat Science, Chemical Engineering, Biological Sciences or related field. 
• Master’s Degree
• PhD highly preferred for candidates leading advanced formulation, nutritional research, or innovation initiatives.

Experience:

• 7+ years of experience in pet food R&D, preferably with wet pet food expertise.
• Required understanding of: 
  Wet pet food processing
  Pet food formulation systems 
  Ingredient functionality 
  Commercial manufacturing environments 
• Experience taking products from concept through commercialization. 
• Retort technology preferred
• Familiar with AAFCO regulations 
• Strong cross-functional communication and project leadership skills.
• Experience with seafood or tuna-based formulations. 
• Experience in OEM/private label manufacturing environments. 
• Familiarity with North American retail and e-commerce pet food channels. 
• Experience managing external laboratories, feeding studies and co-manufacturing partners. 
• Understanding premium pet nutrition trends and functional ingredients. 
• Master’s degree or PhD in a related scientific field. 
• Willing to travel as needed.  40%-50% Domestic and International, passport required.

The successful candidate should possess working knowledge across:

• Pet nutrition 
• Wet pet food processing 
• Thermal processing/retort systems 
• Formulation software 
• Regulatory compliance 
• Ingredient functionality 
• Packaging systems 
• Quality systems 
• Commercial manufacturing 
• Supply chain and sourcing 
• Product commercialization 
• Palatability and feeding studies 
• Cost optimization 
• OEM/private label development 
• E-commerce and retail product requirements

The approximate pay range for this position is $145K to $190K. This range is provided as a good faith estimate at the time of posting. Final compensation may vary based on factors including but not limited to knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location.

Product Development & Formulation

Lead development of wet pet food products including: 

• Complete & balanced diets 
• Complementary/topper products 
• Functional nutrition products 
• Treats and specialty formulations 

Develop formulations aligned with: 

• AAFCO nutrient profiles 
• NRC recommendations 
• FDA/CVM regulations
• Customer and retailer requirements

Work with internal and external nutritionists, veterinarians, and formulators to optimize: 

• Palatability 
• Nutritional performance 
• Texture and appearance 
• Ingredient functionality 
• Cost targets 
• Evaluate novel proteins, seafood ingredients, functional inclusions and emerging nutrition trends

Wet Pet Food Processing & Manufacturing

Serve as technical lead for wet pet food manufacturing processes including: 

• Retort systems 
• Thermal processing 
• Sterilization validation 
• Emulsion systems 
• Mixing and batching 
• Filling and seaming 
• Texture and viscosity management 
• Support manufacturing scale-up and commercialization activities. 
• Troubleshoot production, quality, formulation, and process-related issues. 
• Collaborate with operations teams on continuous improvement initiatives. 
• Support new production line commissioning and optimization. 

Regulatory, Quality & Food Safety

Ensure products meet all applicable: 

• AAFCO requirements 
• FDA regulations 
• State registration requirements 
• Labeling compliance standards 
• Import/export standards 

Partner with QA and regulatory teams on: 

• Ingredient approvals 
• Product claims 
• Nutritional substantiation 
• Feeding protocols and studies 
• Shelf-life validation 
• HACCP and food safety systems 
• Support customer technical documentation and specification management. 

Ingredient & Supply Chain Collaboration

• Work closely with procurement and supply chain teams on: 
  • Ingredient functionality 
  • Cost optimization 
  • Alternative sourcing 
  • Supplier qualification 
  • Raw material specifications 
• Evaluate seafood ingredient quality including tuna, fish oils, fish meals, and related marine ingredients. 
• Understand ingredient variability and its impact on formulation and manufacturing performance.

Packaging & Commercialization

• Support packaging development for: 
  • Cans 
  • Multipacks 
  • Pouches 
  • Sachets
• Partner with commercial teams to align product architecture with market positioning and retailer requirements. 
• Assist with technical customer presentations and OEM business development opportunities.