R D Engineer Jobs in Los Angeles, CA
R D Engineer jobs in Los Angeles are concentrated in the aerospace and defense corridors of El Segundo and Hawthorne, the biotech and medtech clusters in the Westside, and the advanced manufacturing hubs near Torrance and Long Beach, with strong demand across defense systems, life sciences, and clean energy. Employers actively hiring include Riot Games, Motorola Solutions, and Freeform. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
Find R D Engineer JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 272+ R D Engineer jobs
The Sr. Scientist II is a scientific leader responsible for the design, development, and commercialization of innovative plant-based beverages. This role applies deep knowledge of food chemistry, ingredient functionality, and processing science to create products that deliver exceptional sensory performance, nutritional value, stability, and manufacturability.
As a subject matter expert, the Sr. Scientist II leverages scientific principles to understand ingredient interactions, identify technical risks, and develop robust formulation solutions. This individual is expected to stay at the forefront of ingredient technologies and emerging scientific advancements, translating new knowledge into commercially viable products and competitive advantages.
Working collaboratively across R&D, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Marketing, and external partners, the Senior Scientist II provides technical leadership throughout the product development lifecycle, from concept through commercialization.
This position requires approximately 25% travel to manufacturing facilities, suppliers, innovation partners, pilot plant, and industry events.
Scientific Leadership & Ingredient Technology
- Serve as a technical expert in food chemistry, ingredient functionality, and formulation science for plant-based beverage applications.
- Develop a deep understanding of ingredient interactions and their impact on product stability, texture, flavor, nutrition, and processing performance.
- Evaluate and implement emerging ingredient technologies to improve product quality, functionality, sustainability, and cost competitiveness.
- Apply scientific principles to investigate complex formulation and processing challenges and develop data-driven technical solutions.
- Design and execute experiments using sound scientific methodology and statistical tools (DOE) to generate actionable insights and accelerate innovation.
- Interpret analytical, physical, rheological, and sensory data to establish formulation strategies and guide product optimization.
- Build technical knowledge in areas such as emulsion science, hydrocolloid functionality, protein functionality, fat systems, sweetener technologies, mineral interactions, and flavor performance.
Product Development & Innovation
- Lead formulation development and commercialization of innovative plant-based beverages from concept through market launch.
- Translate consumer insights into differentiated products that meet sensory, nutritional, quality, regulatory, and manufacturing requirements.
- Optimize formulations for shelf-life, process robustness, ingredient compatibility, and cost efficiency.
- Drive continuous product improvement through formulation renovation, ingredient optimization, and process innovation.
Commercialization & Technical Leadership
- Lead pilot plant and manufacturing trials to validate formulations and support successful scale-up.
- Partner with Operations and Engineering to ensure effective technology transfer and manufacturing readiness.
- Troubleshoot manufacturing and formulation challenges using scientific root cause analysis.
- Develop technical documentation including formulations, ingredient specifications, processing parameters, and commercialization reports.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Collaborate with Marketing, Consumer Insights, Quality, Regulatory, Procurement, and Supply Chain to deliver innovative products.
- Build strong technical partnerships with ingredient suppliers, universities, and external innovation partners to evaluate emerging technologies and identify new opportunities.
- Provide scientific guidance to internal stakeholders and support customer-facing technical discussions when appropriate.
- Mentor junior scientists by fostering scientific thinking, experimental rigor, and technical excellence.
- M.S. or Ph.D. in Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline.
- Bachelor's degree with extensive relevant industry experience may also be considered.
- 7-10+ years of food and beverage product development experience.
- Demonstrated success developing and commercializing food or beverage products.
- Experience in plant-based beverages, dairy alternatives, beverages, or adjacent food categories is preferred.
- Strong understanding of ingredient interactions affecting product stability, texture, flavor delivery, and processing performance.
- Experience applying Design of Experiments (DOE), statistical analysis, and scientific modeling to solve formulation challenges and optimize product stability and shelf-life
- Experience with pilot plant trials and commercial manufacturing.
- Knowledge of food safety regulations, GMPs, HACCP, and food labeling requirements.
The expected salary range for this position is between $120,000.00 - $145,000.00 per year based on a full-time schedule. Location, confirmed job-related skills and experience will be considered in setting the actual salary. As a full-time employee, you will be eligible to enroll in Califia’s employee benefits program. You may also be eligible to participate in the company’s bonus program which may be subject to change.
The Company is committed to providing equal opportunity for employees and applicants in all aspects of the employment relationship, without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, marital status, veteran status, disability, age, religion or any other classification protected by law.
The Sr. Scientist II is a scientific leader responsible for the design, development, and commercialization of innovative plant-based beverages. This role applies deep knowledge of food chemistry, ingredient functionality, and processing science to create products that deliver exceptional sensory performance, nutritional value, stability, and manufacturability.
As a subject matter expert, the Sr. Scientist II leverages scientific principles to understand ingredient interactions, identify technical risks, and develop robust formulation solutions. This individual is expected to stay at the forefront of ingredient technologies and emerging scientific advancements, translating new knowledge into commercially viable products and competitive advantages.
Working collaboratively across R&D, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Marketing, and external partners, the Senior Scientist II provides technical leadership throughout the product development lifecycle, from concept through commercialization.
This position requires approximately 25% travel to manufacturing facilities, suppliers, innovation partners, pilot plant, and industry events.
Scientific Leadership & Ingredient Technology
- Serve as a technical expert in food chemistry, ingredient functionality, and formulation science for plant-based beverage applications.
- Develop a deep understanding of ingredient interactions and their impact on product stability, texture, flavor, nutrition, and processing performance.
- Evaluate and implement emerging ingredient technologies to improve product quality, functionality, sustainability, and cost competitiveness.
- Apply scientific principles to investigate complex formulation and processing challenges and develop data-driven technical solutions.
- Design and execute experiments using sound scientific methodology and statistical tools (DOE) to generate actionable insights and accelerate innovation.
- Interpret analytical, physical, rheological, and sensory data to establish formulation strategies and guide product optimization.
- Build technical knowledge in areas such as emulsion science, hydrocolloid functionality, protein functionality, fat systems, sweetener technologies, mineral interactions, and flavor performance.
Product Development & Innovation
- Lead formulation development and commercialization of innovative plant-based beverages from concept through market launch.
- Translate consumer insights into differentiated products that meet sensory, nutritional, quality, regulatory, and manufacturing requirements.
- Optimize formulations for shelf-life, process robustness, ingredient compatibility, and cost efficiency.
- Drive continuous product improvement through formulation renovation, ingredient optimization, and process innovation.
Commercialization & Technical Leadership
- Lead pilot plant and manufacturing trials to validate formulations and support successful scale-up.
- Partner with Operations and Engineering to ensure effective technology transfer and manufacturing readiness.
- Troubleshoot manufacturing and formulation challenges using scientific root cause analysis.
- Develop technical documentation including formulations, ingredient specifications, processing parameters, and commercialization reports.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Collaborate with Marketing, Consumer Insights, Quality, Regulatory, Procurement, and Supply Chain to deliver innovative products.
- Build strong technical partnerships with ingredient suppliers, universities, and external innovation partners to evaluate emerging technologies and identify new opportunities.
- Provide scientific guidance to internal stakeholders and support customer-facing technical discussions when appropriate.
- Mentor junior scientists by fostering scientific thinking, experimental rigor, and technical excellence.
- M.S. or Ph.D. in Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline.
- Bachelor's degree with extensive relevant industry experience may also be considered.
- 7-10+ years of food and beverage product development experience.
- Demonstrated success developing and commercializing food or beverage products.
- Experience in plant-based beverages, dairy alternatives, beverages, or adjacent food categories is preferred.
- Strong understanding of ingredient interactions affecting product stability, texture, flavor delivery, and processing performance.
- Experience applying Design of Experiments (DOE), statistical analysis, and scientific modeling to solve formulation challenges and optimize product stability and shelf-life
- Experience with pilot plant trials and commercial manufacturing.
- Knowledge of food safety regulations, GMPs, HACCP, and food labeling requirements.
The expected salary range for this position is between $120,000.00 - $145,000.00 per year based on a full-time schedule. Location, confirmed job-related skills and experience will be considered in setting the actual salary. As a full-time employee, you will be eligible to enroll in Califia’s employee benefits program. You may also be eligible to participate in the company’s bonus program which may be subject to change.
The Company is committed to providing equal opportunity for employees and applicants in all aspects of the employment relationship, without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, marital status, veteran status, disability, age, religion or any other classification protected by law.
See All 272+ R D Engineer Jobs in Los Angeles
Find roles in Los Angeles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find R D Engineer JobsR D Engineer Job Market in Los Angeles
Who's Hiring
- Riot Games131
- Motorola Solutions65
- Freeform22
- KPMG11
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software131
- Manufacturing54
- Accounting & Auditing11
R D Engineer Jobs in Los Angeles: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a r d engineer job in Los Angeles?
Focus your search on the aerospace and defense contractors concentrated in El Segundo and Hawthorne, the life sciences and medtech companies along the Westside corridor, and the clean energy and advanced manufacturing firms near Torrance and Long Beach. Candidates who can demonstrate hands-on prototyping experience, familiarity with cross-functional product development cycles, and exposure to defense or regulatory compliance frameworks stand out in this market.
Which companies hire r d engineers in Los Angeles?
Companies currently hiring r d engineers in Los Angeles include Riot Games, Motorola Solutions, and Freeform, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Los Angeles draws a wide mix of large defense primes, established medtech firms, and well-funded deep-tech startups, giving candidates strong options across company size and sector.
Are there remote r d engineer jobs in Los Angeles?
Yes, though availability depends on the role, since r d engineering work is often hands-on and lab- or facility-based, making fully remote positions less common than in purely analytical fields. About 19% of r d engineer openings tied to Los Angeles are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, with hybrid arrangements most common for design, simulation, and data-heavy specialties rather than physical prototyping or testing roles.
How can I get a r d engineer job in Los Angeles with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in Los Angeles is targeting junior or associate engineer roles at mid-size aerospace suppliers and Westside biotech companies, which tend to hire new graduates and offer structured onboarding alongside senior R&D staff. Internships at El Segundo defense contractors or research partnerships through USC and UCLA can also convert directly into full-time offers, and entry-level roles in test engineering or manufacturing process engineering are common lateral entry points.
Which industries hire the most r d engineers in Los Angeles?
Los Angeles r d engineer roles concentrate in Technology & Software, Manufacturing, and Accounting & Auditing, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Los Angeles's deep roots in aerospace, its growing life sciences ecosystem on the Westside, and rising investment in clean energy and advanced manufacturing all sustain consistent demand for r d engineering talent across those sectors.
Related Jobs in California
See All 272+ R D Engineer Jobs in Los Angeles
Find roles in Los Angeles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find R D Engineer Jobs