FPL Food LLC · 11 hours ago
Research and Development Specialist
AUGUSTA, GA, US
Full-time
Onsite
Entry, Mid Level
$80K/yr - $100K/yr
2+ years expFPL Food LLC is a company focused on the development and commercialization of value-added beef products. The Research and Development Specialist is responsible for product innovation, process optimization, and ensuring compliance with food safety regulations while collaborating with various departments to bring new products to market.
Food and BeverageFood ProcessingRetail
Responsibilities
Develop new value-added beef products including marinated, seasoned, portioned, cooked, or ready-to-cook items using sound food and meat science principles
Formulate and reformulate products to improve yield, texture, flavor, shelf life, and cost efficiency, applying knowledge of protein functionality, water-binding systems, pH control, and ingredient interactions
Design and conduct controlled bench-top, pilot, and production-scale trials
Develop seasoning blends, marinades, injections, and coatings specific to beef products
Conduct sensory evaluations and correlate results with formulation and processing variables
Collaborate with Sales and Marketing to translate customer requirements into technically feasible product solutions
Support scale-up of new products from R&D through full commercial production
Optimize processing parameters including tumbling, marination, thermal processing, slicing, and packaging
Apply scientific analysis to reduce cook loss, purge, and variability while improving consistency and throughput
Troubleshoot production issues related to formulation, texture, appearance, or flavor using data-driven root cause analysis
Ensure all products comply with USDA, FSIS, HACCP, and labeling requirements
Partner with Quality Assurance to validate processes, conduct shelf-life and lethality studies, and support product approvals
Maintain scientific and technical documentation including formulas, specifications, SOPs, and trial reports
Collect, analyze, and interpret data related to yields, ingredient performance, processing conditions, and finished product quality
Utilize basic statistical tools and scientific methods to evaluate trial outcomes and process improvements
Support continuous improvement initiatives through measurable, data-supported results
Work closely with Operations to ensure successful product launches and smooth production transitions
Collaborate with Procurement on ingredient sourcing, functional ingredient evaluation, and cost optimization
Support customer presentations, product samples, and technical discussions as needed
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Meat Science, Animal Science, or a related field (or equivalent hands-on industry experience)
2–5 years of experience in meat processing, preferably beef further processing
Strong working knowledge of applied food and meat science, including protein functionality, ingredient interactions, and thermal processing
Experience designing and evaluating product and process trials
Working knowledge of USDA/FSIS regulations and HACCP principles
Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills
Preferred
Experience developing value-added beef products (marinated, RTE, RTC, or seasoned)
Familiarity with functional ingredients such as salts, phosphates, binders, antioxidants, and flavor systems
Experience in yield optimization and shelf-life improvement
Experience working in a USDA-inspected facility
Project management experience within a manufacturing environment
Company
FPL Food LLC
Headquartered in Augusta, GA, FPL Food is the number one privately owned processor of fresh beef products and ground beef selections in the Southeast.
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
FPL Food LLC has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (1)
2023 (1)
2020 (2)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
N
Nicole D Partridge
Chief Financial Officer
F
François Paul Léger
Founder
Recent News
Foodengineeringmag.com
2024-02-09
Food Engineering
2023-12-24
Thomasville Times-Enterprise
2023-12-24
Company data provided by crunchbase