Product Development Assistant

Company Description

Jensen Meat Company, established in 1958, is a premier producer of high-quality ground beef products for food service distribution, restaurants, retail, and schools. Based in San Diego, California, the company operates from a 150,000-square-foot facility and produces 75 million pounds of ground beef annually. Jensen Meat is committed to transparency, quality, flexibility, and safety, positioning itself as an industry leader with a strong reputation for innovation in food safety. The company partners with major market delivering exceptional products to its customers.

Role Description

This is a full-time, on-site role located in San Diego, CA, for a Product Development Assistant. Jensen Meat Company is seeking a detail-oriented and cross-functionally minded Product Development Assistant to support the end-to-end lifecycle of new product creation while ensuring accurate execution of customer orders and product data management. This role plays a critical operational role between Product Development, Sales, Operations, QA, and external retail and foodservice partners.

The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced, detail-driven environment, demonstrates strong organizational and communication skills, and has experience managing product specifications, customer portals, and order workflows. This position directly supports retail and foodservice growth initiatives while maintaining compliance with USDA and customer-specific requirements.

Primary Responsibilities

Product Development & Item Creation

• Support the end-to-end creation and setup of new items for both Foodservice and Retail channels.
• Ensure all product codes, SKUs, and item records are accurate, complete, and free of duplication.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with R&D, Operations, Sales, QA, and external partners to test, build, and finalize new products.
• Coordinate artwork, labeling, and packaging approvals with QA to ensure compliance with USDA regulations and customer specifications.
• Build, maintain, and update product specifications for all new items.

Order Management & Customer Execution

• Assist with daily order processing for Walmart and key Plant-Based partners, ensuring timely and accurate order entry, confirmation, and execution.
• Review incoming purchase orders and promptly resolve discrepancies with buyers or customer representatives.
• Crosstrain across order processing, invoicing, and customer execution functions to ensure coverage and workload balancing.

Portal & Product Data Management

• Create, publish, and maintain accurate product information across multiple customer and compliance platforms, including:
• 1Sync – Foodservice & Retail item submissions and updates
• ProSpec – Product specifications aligned with USDA and Walmart/Sam’s Club standards
• Kroger Supplier Hub, FSEnet , RizePoint, SAP, Retail Link
• Partner with internal departments and external customers to ensure all product data remains current, accurate, and audit-ready.

Customer Service & Issue Resolution

• Partner closely with the Customer Service team to ensure customer needs are met and service expectations are exceeded.
• Communicate across departments to investigate, resolve, and document customer complaints or product issues.
• Track, report, and escalate product-related issues to prevent recurrence and improve processes.

Events, Trade Shows & Marketing Support

• Assist with planning, logistics, setup, and execution of expos, conferences, and marketing events.
• Support cross-functional marketing initiatives related to new product launches and customer engagement.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations, Food Science, Supply Chain, or a related field preferred or 2 years in lieu of education.
• 2 years in product coordination, order management, sales operations, or customer execution.
• Experience working with retail or foodservice customers (e.g., Walmart, Kroger, institutional buyers) strongly preferred.

Knowledge & Skills

• Strong attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Working knowledge of product data systems, customer portals, and specification management tools.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with internal and external stakeholders.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook); experience with ERP systems (e.g., SAP) preferred.
• Ability to work cross-functionally in a fast-paced, compliance-driven environment.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) a plus.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

• Office-based role with frequent collaboration across departments.
• May require occasional time on the production floor or attendance at off-site events and trade shows.
• Ability to sit, stand, walk, and work at a computer for extended periods.