Yamamotoyama · 6 hours ago
R&D Manager
Pomona, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
$125K/yr - $135K/yr
5+ years expYamamotoyama U.S.A. is committed to the art of traditional Japanese green tea and nori seaweed products. The R&D Manager leads product development and technical innovation, focusing on creating new products, improving existing formulations, and ensuring regulatory compliance while collaborating with cross-functional teams.
E-CommerceManufacturingTea
Responsibilities
Lead and coach the R&D Specialist while owning the product innovation pipeline from concept through commercialization
Develop new tea SKUs by formulating, prototyping, and optimizing flavor, aroma, functionality, nutrition, and shelf stability
Translate bench-top prototypes into scalable formulas, ingredient statements, specifications, and processing parameters
Partner with Operations, Quality, and external co-manufacturers to plan and execute pilot runs, scale-ups, and first production runs
Serve as the technical point of contact for co-manufacturers during scale-up, troubleshooting, and ongoing production support
Conduct shelf-life studies, ingredient evaluations, and process validations to ensure consistent commercial performance
Ensure all products meet food safety, regulatory, and labeling requirements (FDA, USDA as applicable, and local regulations)
Drive cost, quality, and performance optimization of existing products without compromising brand or sensory standards
Collaborate with Marketing and Sales to translate consumer insights and trends into viable, differentiated tea concepts
Build and maintain strong technical relationships with ingredient suppliers and manufacturing partners; travel to facilities as needed for trials, audits, and launches
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry, or related field
5+ years of experience in Food & Beverage R&D, with at least 2 years in a leadership or senior development role
Strong understanding of food processing, ingredient functionality, and manufacturing operations
Experience with regulatory compliance, nutrition labeling, allergen management, and food safety requirements
Knowledge of sensory evaluation methods and shelf-life testing
Proven ability to run multiple projects using stage-gate or similar development processes
Strong communication skills with the ability to present technical concepts to both technical and non-technical teams
Preferred
Experience in the tea industry
Benefits
Medical
Dental
Vision
Life
AD&D
LTD
EAP
Health & Wellness
Vacation Accrual
401(k) with Safe Harbor Contribution
Discounts on our product
Tuition reimbursement
Continuing education support
Company
Yamamotoyama
At Yamamotoyama, we have over three centuries of experience and innovation.
201-500 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Yamamotoyama 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
2021 (1)
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageLeadership Team
Nami Yamamoto
Chief Executive Officer
Company data provided by crunchbase