Food Service Lead – Product Development (US)

Food Service Lead Product Development (US)

Agrana Fruit is a global leader in delivering healthy and delicious food solutions across categories including frozen and refrigerated dairy bakery coffee ice cream and Food Service. As we expand our footprint in the U.S. Food Service channel we are looking for a highly capable Food Service Lead Product Development to drive innovation commercialization and technical excellence in this fast-growing segment.

This newly created role partners closely with Category Sales Marketing and Operations to define and deliver the Food Service product pipeline. The ideal candidate brings strong technical depth leadership capabilities and hands-on experience with applications relevant to Food Service environments.

Key Accountabilities:
Product Development & Commercialization
Lead end-to-end development of Food Service products (e.g. syrups sauces toppings bakery inclusions frozen dessert components etc.) for a broad range of customer accounts.
Manage the full innovation cycle: customer briefs scoping formulation prototyping sensory evaluations documentation scale up commercialization and post launch reviews.
Design and execute DOEs for new processes ensuring smooth transition from benchtop pilot full-scale production.
Prioritize and coordinate experimental and analytical testing within the broader NPD team ensuring efficient allocation of resources.

Food Service Applications & Lab Leadership
Build and manage the Food Service applications lab; define testing protocols and evaluate performance under real FS operating conditions (e.g. dispensers blenders soft serve holding times thermal cycling).
Provide technical expertise on food service equipment preparation methods and product behavior in operational settings.

Cross-Functional Collaboration
Work closely with Sales and Marketing to translate customer needs and market trends into actionable development projects.
Align with Procurement and suppliers on raw materials packaging development and ingredient qualifications.
Support feasibility assessments regulatory reviews and compliance (quality safety labeling).
Drive complex projects requiring new process development; design and execute DOEs to optimize processes for successful scaleup partnering closely with Technical Service.

Project & People Leadership
Lead multiple concurrent projects with clear prioritization timelines and stakeholder communication.
Develop coach and manage a small team (23) of Product Developers.
Maintain accurate and timely status reports for senior leadership.

Required Skills:
Bachelors degree in Food Science Chemical Engineering or related STEM field.
10 years of progressive experience in food or ingredient product development ideally with exposure to Food Service channels.
Strong formulation and commercialization experience including scaling from bench pilot production.
Knowledge of packaging development testing and shelf-life evaluation.
Understanding regulatory standards quality systems and customer specific requirements.
Experience with beverage coffee or culinary applications is a plus.
High proficiency in technical and business tools; SAP & JMP experience preferred.
Excellent communication problem-solving and cross-functional leadership skills.

Agrana Fruit offers a competitive salary and provides an excellent benefits package. Benefits offered by Agrana are designed to promote wellness and the well-being of every Agrana employee. If interested email us at or apply today!