Product Development Manager Location: Hamilton, Ontario (Onsite)
Industry: Commercial Baking / Food Manufacturing
Our client, a growing commercial bakery in Hamilton, Ontario, is seeking a passionate, innovative, and hands-on Product Development Manager to join their team. This is a unique opportunity for an entrepreneurial R&D; professional who enjoys working autonomously, thrives in a fast-paced manufacturing environment, and is excited to play a foundational role in shaping the future of innovation within the organization.
This position will initially operate as a stand-alone R&D; function with full ownership of product development, innovation, commercialization, and continuous improvement initiatives. Over time, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to build and lead an R&D; team as the company continues to grow.
Reporting to senior leadership, the R&D; Scientist will lead the development of new bakery products, improve existing formulations and processes, and collaborate cross-functionally with Operations, Quality, Sales, Procurement, and customers to drive innovation and commercial success.
Key Responsibilities
Product Development & Innovation
Lead end-to-end product development activities from concept through commercialization for bakery and baked goods products
Develop new formulations from scratch, including cakes, pastries, sweet goods, and other bakery products
Improve existing products through reformulation, cost optimization, shelf-life enhancement, ingredient substitutions, and process improvements
Conduct bench trials, plant trials, and scale-up activities while ensuring consistency, quality, and manufacturability
Translate customer requests and market trends into commercially viable product solutions
Stay current on bakery trends, ingredients, consumer preferences, clean label initiatives, and emerging technologies
Commercialization & Technical Support
Prepare and maintain product specifications, ingredient statements,



nutritional information, and technical documentation for Canadian and U.S. markets
Support commercialization activities including first production runs, troubleshooting, and process validation
Work closely with Operations and Quality teams to ensure successful product launches and ongoing production performance
Assist with customer presentations, product demonstrations, sampling, trade shows, and innovation meetings as required
Process Improvement & Manufacturing Support
Identify opportunities to improve production efficiency, product consistency, yields, and quality
Collaborate with manufacturing teams to optimize formulations and baking processes
Support continuous improvement initiatives related to productivity, waste reduction, and margin enhancement
Troubleshoot formulation and processing challenges in a manufacturing environment
Supplier & Cross-Functional Collaboration
Build relationships with ingredient suppliers and vendors to source innovative ingredients and solutions
Collaborate with Procurement on ingredient alternatives, supply continuity, and cost savings opportunities
Partner with Sales and Leadership teams to support business growth and strategic initiatives
Leadership & Growth Opportunity
Operate independently as the company’s primary R&D; resource with strong ownership and accountability
Contribute to the long-term innovation strategy and roadmap for the business
Support the future development, mentoring, and leadership of an R&D; team as the department expands
Qualifications
Degree or diploma in Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemistry,



or related scientific discipline
Minimum 5+ years of R&D;/product development experience within commercial baking or food manufacturing
Strong understanding of bakery ingredient functionality, current ingredient vendors in the bakery space, shelf life, food safety, and manufacturing processes
Experience scaling products from benchtop to commercial production
Knowledge of CFIA, FDA, labeling regulations, nutritional requirements, and food safety standards
Experience preparing product specifications, nutritional panels, and technical documentation
Familiarity with ERP systems and nutrition software such as Genesis, Nutracoster, or similar programs is considered an asset
Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and tight timelines
Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to work cross-functionally
Self-starter with a hands-on, proactive, and solution-oriented mindset
Passion for baking and food innovation
Ability to work both in an office and manufacturing environment
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs occasionally
What Success Looks Like
Bringing innovative, high-quality bakery products to market successfully
Acting as a key technical and innovation resource across the organization
Building scalable R&D; systems, processes, and documentation
Contributing to company growth through innovation, optimization, and customer partnership
Evolving into a future leadership role with the prospect to build and lead an R&D; team
Why Join?
Opportunity to build and shape the R&D; function within a growing bakery business
High visibility and direct impact on innovation and business growth
Entrepreneurial environment where ideas and creativity are valued
Career progression into future leadership opportunities
Collaborative and team-oriented culture within the food manufacturing industry

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📌 PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER (Ontario)
🏢 De Lacy Executive
📍 Ontario