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Nom Nom

Product Development Scientist

Nom Nom, Nashville, Tennessee, United States, 37247

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Product Development Scientist Department:

R&D

Reports to:

Sr. Director, Product Development

Role Overview The Product Development Scientist plays a critical role in bringing new pet food innovations from concept to commercialization. This role bridges R&D and Operations, ensuring that new recipes, formats, and packaging updates are successfully scaled, validated, and launched to market.

We’re looking for a scientist with a strong foundation in food science or food engineering who thrives at the intersection of technical problem‑solving and cross‑functional collaboration. You will lead product and process trials, coordinate with manufacturing partners, support product launches, and help ensure packaging changes are delivered smoothly. This is a hands‑on role with room to grow into broader product development leadership over time.

Key Responsibilities Product Development & Scale-up

Lead benchtop, pilot plant, and production‑scale trials for new products and reformulations.

Partner with Operations and manufacturing partners to validate manufacturability, yields, and product quality.

Document and communicate standard operating conditions and learnings from trials.

Launch & Commercialization Support

Deliver R&D outputs for product launches, including trial reports and technical readiness documentation.

Collaborate with Marketing, Operations, and Regulatory teams to ensure seamless transition from development to commercialization.

Contribute to continuous improvement of existing recipes through reformulation and process optimization.

Packaging Coordination

Serve as the R&D contact for packaging changes, including artwork updates, optimization initiatives, and new pack formats.

Work with Marketing, Operations, and Regulatory teams to ensure packaging meets brand, technical, and compliance requirements.

Summarize and communicate packaging test results and recommendations.

Cross-functional Collaboration

Work closely with Nutrition and Product Development teams to align on formulation and product performance.

Partner with Pilot Plant staff to design and execute experiments.

Support testing functions with data capture and reporting.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, or related field.

3–5 years of experience in product development, process validation, or commercialization within food manufacturing.

Experience running production trials and/or working with manufacturing partners.

Familiarity with packaging design, testing, or artwork coordination preferred.

Strong project management and documentation skills; ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Excellent communication skills across technical and non-technical teams.

Comfortable working in a dynamic, fast‑paced environment.

Why Join Us This is a unique opportunity to be at the center of innovation in fresh pet food. You’ll gain experience across product development, scale‑up, and packaging, while working in a collaborative environment that values science, creativity, and impact. For the right candidate, this role offers the chance to grow into broader product development leadership.

Nom Nom embraces inclusion, diversity, and equal opportunity. We're committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. Nom Nom is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status.

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