Food Technologist / Culinologist

About Us At McLane Classic Foods, we specialize in custom, kettle-cooked frozen and refrigerated foods for national brands, foods. From hearty soups and sauces to sides and macaroni & cheese, our passion is delivering quality and consistency at scale. We’re looking for a talented Food Technologist / Culinologist to join our Culinary R&D team and help bring innovative new products to life. ________________________________________ The Opportunity As a Food Technologist / Culinologist, you’ll be hands-on in developing, testing, and scaling custom food formulations. You’ll combine culinary creativity with food science expertise to create delicious, high-quality products while ensuring USDA and FDA compliance. This role is ideal for someone who thrives at the intersection of culinary arts and food technology. ________________________________________ What You’ll Do • Formulate new frozen and refrigerated kettle-cooked products (soups, sauces, side dishes, macaroni & cheese, etc.). • Translate customer briefs into scalable, manufacturable recipes. • Conduct bench-top and pilot trials; support full-scale production runs. • Collaborate with cross-functional teams: culinary chefs, QA, operations, packaging, and procurement. • Ensure compliance with USDA and FDA labeling, nutritional paneling, and food safety regulations. • Perform sensory evaluations, shelf-life studies, and cost optimization. • Maintain accurate formulation records, test results, and ingredient specifications. • Stay current on food trends, clean label demands, and regulatory changes. ________________________________________ What We’re Looking For • Education: Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Culinology, Culinary Science, or related field. • Experience: Food3–5+ years in product development, preferably in frozen or refrigerated, kettle-cooked foods. • Strong knowledge of ingredient functionality, thermal processing, and frozen/refrigerated product behavior. • Familiarity with USDA/FDA regulations and labeling requirements. • Culinary background or culinology training highly desired. • Excellent project management, documentation, and communication skills. • Creative, detail-oriented, and comfortable working in both lab and production environments. ________________________________________ Why Join McLane Classic Foods? • Be part of a growing, innovation-driven R&D team. • Collaborate on projects that serve national brands and foodservice partners. • Work with a company that values quality, integrity, and teamwork. • Competitive compensation and benefits package. Salary Range (Fort Worth, TX): • Competitive base salary, commensurate with experience. • Health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability and 401k. ________________________________________