R&D Technologist

Position Summary

Gorton’s is seeking a passionate and technically skilled Associate Food Technologist to join our Innovation Team, supporting the development of next-generation frozen seafood products. This role will contribute to product ideation, formulation, and commercialization, with a focus on innovation while upholding our commitment to quality, sustainability, and consumer satisfaction.

What You'll Do

• Support and potentially lead the creation of new frozen seafood products and improvements to existing products.
• Conduct bench-top formulation, prototype development, and plant trials.
• Develop and optimize cooking instructions and recipes for consumer use.
• Support multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize tasks for robust development plans.
• Maintain detailed records of formulations, testing protocols, and ingredient specifications.
• Ensure all products meet Gorton’s quality standards, regulatory requirements (FDA, CFIA), and shelf-life expectations.
• Apply scientific principles and analytical thinking to solve problems and improve products.
• Demonstrate understanding of manufacturing systems, processes, and policies.
• Support production facility tests and process scale-up development.
• Contribute to ingredient optimization, cost savings, and sustainable sourcing initiatives.
• Continuously seek process and product improvements, challenging the status quo appropriately.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (marketing, operations, procurement, supply chain, finance, sales) to execute initiatives.
• Organize, facilitate, and lead product evaluation sessions, including cuttings and sensory panels, to assess internal prototypes and benchmark competitive products.
• Communicate project status, findings, and recommendations clearly to managers and cross-functional teams.
• Partner with Quality Assurance and Regulatory teams to ensure compliance with food safety standards.
• Conduct product presentations at sales and management meetings.
• Keep up with new technologies, ingredients, regulations, and industry trends.
• Leverage internal and external data to meet consumer needs and guide decisions.
• Support proper ingredients inventory of the lab for tests and experiments.
• Perform lab management tasks such as cleaning, sorting, and storing lab equipment.
  
  

What You'll Need

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Microbiology, Biology, or related field with >2 years of relevant lab experience in food product development or manufacturing.
• Excellent oral and written communication abilities; able to translate technical concepts for diverse audiences.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively with minimal supervision.
• Strong quantitative, analytical, and project management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to tackle new and unfamiliar tasks with minimal assistance.
• Basic culinary skills for creative recipe development and comfort in a product development kitchen.
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to work well on teams.
• Experience with experimental design and statistical analysis are a plus.
• Flexibility for early plant tests and willingness to travel (up to 30%).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, formulation software, and data analysis tools.
• Willingness to taste fish and shellfish prototypes and discriminate subtle flavor differences.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
  
  

Pay Range

$60,632 - $71,240/Annual