We are seeking a Production - Food and Beverage R&D Assistant for a direct hire opportunity in Irvine, CA. This role supports product development within a food and beverage production environment, with a focus on dough, fillings, baking processes, sample preparation, and production line testing. Required Qualifications and Skills
This is a great opportunity for someone with 1 to 2 years of food production, bakery, or R&D support experience who enjoys hands-on work, collaboration, and contributing to new product development. The ideal candidate will be detail-oriented, team-focused, and comfortable working in a fast-paced production environment where food safety, quality, and consistency are essential.
This role offers the chance to work closely with R&D, sales, customers, brokers, and suppliers while gaining valuable exposure to product formulation, ingredient testing, sample baking, and production trials. Candidates who enjoy learning, problem-solving, and supporting innovative food products will find this position especially rewarding.
Key Responsibilities
- Support product development activities, including formulation assistance, ingredient handling, material testing, and production line trials.
- Prepare and bake product samples for shows, customer presentations, testing, and internal review.
- Assist with dough and filling handling, proofing, baking, finishing, and related production processes.
- Serve as a liaison with customers, brokers, sales team members, and suppliers as needed.
- Follow food safety standards, internal procedures, and quality expectations throughout all R&D and production support activities.
- Complete miscellaneous R&D tasks, documentation, sample preparation, and production support duties as assigned.
Compensation and Benefits
- $23.00 to $24.00 per hour.
- Direct hire opportunity.
- Support food product development, formulation assistance, ingredient testing, and sample preparation.
- Assist with production line testing, baking trials, proofing, finishing, and quality checks.
- Prepare samples for shows, customer needs, and internal R&D evaluation.
- Communicate with internal teams, customers, brokers, sales, and suppliers to support product development goals.
- 1 to 2 years of relevant experience in food production, bakery production, R&D support, or a related food and beverage manufacturing environment.
- Knowledge of dough handling, filling handling, proofing, baking, and finishing processes.
- Understanding of food safety standards and the importance of quality, cleanliness, and consistency.
- Ability to follow instructions, recipes, procedures, and production guidelines carefully.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams.
- Ability to work both independently and in a team-oriented production environment.
- Detail-oriented work style with the ability to manage multiple R&D support tasks accurately.
Preferred Qualifications
- Prior experience supporting R&D, product development, or sample preparation in a bakery or food manufacturing setting.
- Experience preparing products for trade shows, customer presentations, or product demonstrations.
- Familiarity with production line trials, ingredient testing, and new product launch support.
Equal Opportunity Employer / Disabled / Protected Veterans
The Know Your Rights poster is available here:
https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12.pdf
The pay transparency policy is available here:
https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ofccp/pdf/pay-transp_%20English_formattedESQA508c.pdf
For temporary assignments lasting 13 weeks or longer, AppleOne is pleased to offer major medical, dental, vision, 401k and any statutory sick pay where required.
We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact your staffing representative who will reach out to our HR team.
AppleOne participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations as required by law. Learn more about the E-Verify program.
https://e-verify.uscis.gov/web/media/resourcesContents/E-Verify_Participation_Poster_ES.pdf
We also consider for employment qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements, including, if applicable, the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. Pursuant to applicable state and municipal Fair Chance Laws and Ordinances, we will consider for employment-qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, including, if applicable, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. For Los Angeles, CA applicants: Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.