Stars + Honey · 1 day ago
Research and Development Manager
Decatur, IL
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
$100K/yr - $120K/yr
3+ years expStars + Honey is a modern packaged food company focused on premium, handcrafted protein bars. They are seeking a Research and Development Manager to lead the formulation and development of innovative protein bar products while ensuring quality and commercial viability.
Food & Beverages
No H1B
Responsibilities
Lead hands-on formulation and benchtop development of high-protein bar systems, from early concepts through commercial-ready products
Translate ideas into structured experiments, prototypes, and data-backed formulation decisions
Rapidly iterate to optimize texture, flavor, nutrition, shelf life, and cost
Balance ingredient functionality with real-world manufacturing constraints
Support pilot runs and production, identifying and solving formulation, ingredient, and process risks
Partner closely with Operations, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Quality teams
Evaluate ingredients, suppliers, and specifications to support consistent commercial production
Ensure products maintain integrity from bench to shelf
Apply strong working knowledge of proteins, sweeteners, fibers, binding systems, fats, and shelf-life behavior in bar formats
Diagnose texture failures, binding issues, flavor instability, or processing challenges
Stay current on emerging ingredient technologies relevant to functional nutrition
Document formulations, experiments, learnings, and technical decisions
Maintain a clean, organized, execution-focused lab
Partner with QA and regulatory teams to ensure compliant ingredient selection and labeling awareness
Qualification
Required
3–5 years of hands-on R&D experience specifically in protein bar development
Demonstrated experience taking products from formulation through commercialization
Strong formulation instincts and curiosity about ingredient behavior
Comfort operating independently in a fast-moving, growth-stage environment
Clear communicator with a builder mindset
Must be permanently authorized to work in the United States
Benefits
Bonus eligibility
Highly competitive Benefits package
Relocation support available
Company
Stars + Honey
Stars + Honey was born from a vision of being on the forefront of what a modern packaged food company should be—obsessed with the details in order to honor the place food has in our lives.
11-50 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageCompany data provided by crunchbase