Product Development Manager – must love coffee! – Louisiana

Guide customers through product journey—early concepts/samples/pre-boarding/launch. Work closely with new and existing customers on R&D, sampling, custom packaging/material approvals.

Partner with the sales team to create custom recipes and samples. Go-to person for product development and R&D.

Lead coffee cuppings, evaluating products, and helping develop custom coffee and tea blends, matches, and new ideas.

Work closely with Q& A to meet quality/compliance standards.

Keeping an eye on the competitive landscape to help our products stand out.

Day-to-Day  –

Manage customer product development and sampling from start to finish.

Help review and approve custom printed materials. Plan and lead coffee cuppings with internal teams/customers.

Schedule sample production runs and check sample quality.

Partner with the Quality team to maintain top-notch product quality.

Track customer feedback and manage sample revisions.

Perform sample roasting when needed. Taste and test competitive products to understand the market.

Support the sales team with presentations/tours/planning/special projects. Help at trade shows and industry events.

Must Haves –

3 – 5 years of experience in coffee product development and R&D.

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent hands-on experience.

Q Grader certification is a huge plus.

Experience in private label manufacturing.

Comfortable using Salesforce, Trello, and other systems.

Self-starter who’s excited to learn and grow with the company.

Positive attitude/good communication/ability to juggle multiple projects/hard worker. Strong attention to detail and follow-through.

Problem-solving mindset/confidence working independently.

Openness to feedback and a willingness to keep improving.

Genuine passion for coffee and the ability to travel up to 30%.

Pay & Perks –

Excellent base pay plus bonus.

Vacation,9 holidays, sick leave, medical/dental/vision/life insurance, and 401 (k). Plus free coffee!!

Who do you know?

So, you’ve been using the power of YES to reach out to people. That’s positive networking and it is key to finding a new job. It’s all about who you know. How many applications have you sent into companies with no response? Some people have sent 100’s. You must get in front of the hiring managers and LinkedIn is a great place to do that. How to find more people to connect to?

1. Research companies within a commutable radius of your home.

2. Find the hiring managers at those companies and send them a connect. Most people are nice and will accept a connection.

3. Follow up with a quick elevator pitch about you.

This may not always work, but it’s a quicker way to get in front of the Manager/Director/VP than going through their application process.