What are the responsibilities and job description for the Research And Development Technician position at Sterling Engineering?
We’re looking for an R&D Specialist to join our team and help create the next generation of fully cooked USDA products. In this role, you’ll be hands-on in the kitchen, pilot plant, and production floor—formulating recipes, running trials, and ensuring every product meets the highest standards for quality, taste, and safety.
What you’ll do:
- Support the development of new meat products from concept through launch
- Run product trials (batching, cooking, packaging) and evaluate taste, texture, and appearance
- Collaborate with production, QA, and marketing teams to bring ideas to life
- Document recipes, results, and improvements with accuracy
- Troubleshoot and refine formulations for scale-up
- Stay on top of industry trends, new ingredients, and processing technologies
- Present and showcase products to internal teams and customers
What we’re looking for:
- Culinary Arts degree/certification or related experience
- 3–5 years in food processing/manufacturing (meat/protein experience a big plus)
- Background in food product development and recipe scaling for production
- Strong knowledge of food science, ingredients, and processing equipment
- Comfortable tasting and evaluating meat products
- Organized, detail-oriented, and creative with strong problem-solving skills
- Team player who thrives in a fast-paced environment