Product Developer

Job summary

Develop and refine food products from original recipes and kitchen prototypes through sensory testing, formulation, and commercial readiness. Partner with manufacturing facilities on scale-up and production trials, troubleshoot technical and quality issues, and document development results.

Job details

ABOUT WHOLLY VEGGIE Wholly Veggie is a Toronto based food company focused on pushing the boundaries of vegetable innovation through delicious frozen snacks, veggie burgers and frozen potato products. Our mission is to make it easy, tasty and rewarding to add vegetables to your diet. THE OPPORTUNITY We are looking for a hands-on Product Developer who brings culinary creativity and food science together. You will independently develop recipes and prototypes in your own home kitchen, then partner with our manufacturing facilities to bring the strongest concepts to commercial scale. This role is for someone who enjoys both cooking and solving technical formulation problems—not just managing a project plan. WHAT YOU WILL DO Culinary innovation & kitchen development Create new food products from concept through bench-top prototypes, sensory testing and commercial readiness Develop original recipes and flavour profiles with an emphasis on craveable taste, texture and appearance Conduct small-batch trials from a suitable home kitchen; document ingredients, methods, yields and results Explore emerging ingredients, food trends and culinary techniques; benchmark competitive products Improve existing formulas based on product feedback, quality opportunities and cost targets Food science & formulation Apply food science principles to ingredient functionality, binding, texture, moisture, stability and processing. Develop repeatable formulas with commercial ingredient availability, nutritional objectives and product cost in mind. Evaluate freezing, thawing, heating and reheating performance, including air-fryer and oven preparation. Troubleshoot technical issues with ingredients, processing conditions and finished-product consistency. Maintain accurate formulas, trial reports, ingredient specifications and development records. Manufacturing & scale-up Travel to manufacturing facilities in Ontario at least once per week, with additional visits around key trials or launches. Work directly with plant teams and co-manufacturers to translate kitchen recipes into scalable manufacturing processes Participate in plant trials, pilot runs and initial commercial production; record results and next actions. Help solve manufacturing issues related to texture, yield, equipment, quality, ingredient substitutions and cost. Sensory evaluation & product improvement Run structured sensory evaluations and competitive benchmarks for taste, texture, aroma and appearance. Validate consumer cooking directions and evaluate product quality under realistic at-home preparation conditions. Recommend formula or process improvements and track outcomes through additional testing. WHAT YOU BRING Required Professional experience spanning both hands-on culinary development and food science or technical food formulation At least 4-5 years of relevant experience in food product development, culinary R&D or commercial food manufacturing. Strong cooking and recipe-development skills plus a practical understanding of ingredient functionality and processing. Ability to independently plan, execute, document and present development work while working remotely. Residence in Ontario and ability to visit manufacturing facilities in person at least weekly. Access to a clean, functional, suitably equipped home kitchen for recipe development and small-batch testing. Preferred Education or training in food science, culinary arts, food technology or a related discipline. Experience with frozen foods, savoury snacks, prepared meals or plant-based products Experience with co-manufacturers, commercial plant trials, sensory testing and formulation costing. HOW WE WORK This is a remote-first, highly independent role—not a desk-only position. You should enjoy working from your home kitchen, communicating proactively with a small team and spending meaningful time on the plant floor. Weekly manufacturing visits are essential, not occasional. Successful candidates will be comfortable moving between culinary experimentation, rigorous documentation and production realities. HOW TO APPLY Please submit your resume and a brief introduction describing your culinary and food science experience. We would especially like to hear about a product you personally developed, the technical challenge you solved, and your experience transferring a formulation from kitchen to manufacturing.

What you’ll do

Develop and refine food products from original recipes and kitchen prototypes through sensory testing, formulation, and commercial readiness. Partner with manufacturing facilities on scale-up and production trials, troubleshoot technical and quality issues, and document development results.

Requirements

Candidates need at least 4–5 years of relevant food product development, culinary R&D, or commercial food manufacturing experience, combining hands-on cooking skills with practical food science and formulation knowledge. They must live in Ontario, work independently from a suitably equipped home kitchen, and be able to visit manufacturing facilities at least weekly; relevant education and experience with frozen or plant-based foods are preferred.

Listed skills

• Product Development · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Product Development
• Culinary Development
• Recipe Development
• Food Science
• Food Formulation
• Ingredient Functionality
• Prototype Development
• Sensory Evaluation
• Food Manufacturing
• Manufacturing Scale-Up
• Plant Trials
• Frozen Food Development
• Product Costing
• Technical Troubleshooting
• Product Documentation
• Competitive Benchmarking

Job areas

• Food & Beverage
• Science & Research
• Manufacturing

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