Senior Manager, Research & Development, Pet Food - Wet

• Support, build and scale a differentiated wet pet food business focused on premium feline nutrition. This role will lead the development of innovative wet pet food products from concept through commercialization while serving as a cross-functional technical expert across formulation, processing, regulatory compliance, ingredient sourcing, packaging, manufacturing, quality and commercialization.
• Possess deep knowledge of the North American pet food industry and be comfortable operating in a fast-moving entrepreneurial environment where both OEM/private label and branded product development are priorities.
• Build a nutrition-first wet pet food platform centered around tuna-based formulations, ingredient integrity, manufacturing excellence, and long-term category differentiation.

Product Development & Formulation

Lead development of wet pet food products including: 

• Complete & balanced diets 
• Complementary/topper products 
• Functional nutrition products 
• Treats and specialty formulations 

Develop formulations aligned with: 

• AAFCO nutrient profiles 
• NRC recommendations 
• FDA/CVM regulations
• Customer and retailer requirements

Work with internal and external nutritionists, veterinarians, and formulators to optimize: 

• Palatability 
• Nutritional performance 
• Texture and appearance 
• Ingredient functionality 
• Cost targets 
• Evaluate novel proteins, seafood ingredients, functional inclusions and emerging nutrition trends

Wet Pet Food Processing & Manufacturing

Serve as technical lead for wet pet food manufacturing processes including: 

• Retort systems 
• Thermal processing 
• Sterilization validation 
• Emulsion systems 
• Mixing and batching 
• Filling and seaming 
• Texture and viscosity management 
• Support manufacturing scale-up and commercialization activities. 
• Troubleshoot production, quality, formulation, and process-related issues. 
• Collaborate with operations teams on continuous improvement initiatives. 
• Support new production line commissioning and optimization. 

Regulatory, Quality & Food Safety

Ensure products meet all applicable: 

• AAFCO requirements 
• FDA regulations 
• State registration requirements 
• Labeling compliance standards 
• Import/export standards 

Partner with QA and regulatory teams on: 

• Ingredient approvals 
• Product claims 
• Nutritional substantiation 
• Feeding protocols and studies 
• Shelf-life validation 
• HACCP and food safety systems 
• Support customer technical documentation and specification management. 

Ingredient & Supply Chain Collaboration

• Work closely with procurement and supply chain teams on: 
  • Ingredient functionality 
  • Cost optimization 
  • Alternative sourcing 
  • Supplier qualification 
  • Raw material specifications 
• Evaluate seafood ingredient quality including tuna, fish oils, fish meals, and related marine ingredients. 
• Understand ingredient variability and its impact on formulation and manufacturing performance.

Packaging & Commercialization

• Support packaging development for: 
  • Cans 
  • Multipacks 
  • Pouches 
  • Sachets
• Partner with commercial teams to align product architecture with market positioning and retailer requirements. 
• Assist with technical customer presentations and OEM business development opportunities.