Job Description

R&D Manager

Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Department: Research & Development

Chicken of the Sea is an iconic American brand that was founded in 1930. Today, Chicken of the Sea enjoys broad distribution across all major retail channels, with growth opportunities in foodservice and outside the U.S. Besides its eponymous brand, Chicken of the Sea also sells Genova and King Oscar premium seafood products.

Chicken of the Sea International (COSI) has been wholly owned since 2000 by Thai Union (TU), the largest global producer of ambient seafood. Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods is a sister U.S. company that focuses on frozen and chilled seafood sales. Other iconic seafood brands in the TU Global portfolio include John West, Mareblu, and King Oscar. Under the leadership of CEO Thiraphong Chansiri, Thai Union has more than tripled its revenue to over $4 billion annually and has an aggressive growth agenda.

Chicken of the Sea International operates under the common corporate vision, mission and values of Thai Union, an industry leader in sustainable fishing practices and manufacturing processes that capture the freshness, nutritional value, and sensorial experience of seafood. The global organization lives by the 6 deeply held values: Passionate, Humble, Respectful, Responsible, Collaborative, and Innovative.

COSI is an organization that is very proud of its heritage. First established as VanCamp seafood company more than 100 years ago (1914), the company celebrates its story as one of the oldest food companies in the country that is still in operation. The company is currently undergoing a significant business transformation aimed at accelerating business growth.

About the Role:

Join the Chicken of the Sea brand as our R&D Manager. This role based out of COSI Pittsburgh HQ, reports to the Director of R&D (USA). The COSI R&D team is part of Thai Union’s Global Ambient R&D organization which has centers of excellence for processing and packaging in USA, Thailand and Europe. The R&D Manager will leverage their technical expertise and leadership skills to ensure that research and development projects are organized, executed, and scaled efficiently. This role requires a deep understanding of both product and process development, including training plant production personnel on product and processing equipment. As part of the Global Ambient R&D organization, this role routinely interacts with colleagues at other Centers of Excellence in Europe and Thailand and on projects that cut across different geographies.

Responsibilities:

• Support the Innovation, Marketing and Foodservice teams by formulating new products and concepts based on consumer trends and market research. Develop products from ideation to factory scale-up.
• Collaborate with Factory R&D, Quality Assurance, Marketing, and Operations teams to support the base business product line. This includes initiatives to improve product quality and design to remain competitive.
• Provide technical support for Regulatory Affairs, CQA, and Nutrition, developing specifications, process controls, ingredient statements, and nutritional information (NLEA).
• Lead and drive R&D activities to completion within specified timelines, working effectively with project teams to deliver goals on time.
• Conduct projects scientifically and efficiently from bench development through pilot plant to factory scale-up. Record, evaluate, and interpret experimental data, and make recommendations through written or oral reports.
• Support factory operations in process optimization, quality improvements, and value engineering. Troubleshoot and solve issues related to product and process development.

Requirements:

• 5+ years of professional experience in Product and Process Development.
• Bachelor’s degree in food science or related field (Chemistry, Biology, Engineering). Coursework in seafood or meat sciences is useful.
• Project management experience with product scale-up and manufacturing start-ups; international experience preferred but not mandatory.
• Creative development and problem-solving skills with a product and process development mindset. Experience in formulation across multiple product lines, including low acid, thermal process, and an understanding of packaging. Previous experience in protein processing is desirable.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities, Females, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities.

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