Research and Development Assistant

• Are you passionate about Animal Nutrition and want to develop your career?
• Do you want to work close to home in a business that is both stable and growing?
• We have an exceptional opportunity for you

Real Pet Food Company has built a reputation for the freshest products you can find. Disrupting the market, we are serving real, locally sourced and manufactured pet food - wet, dry, fresh, chilled and treats. No one knows pets quite the way we do

We are a fast-growing, innovative FMCG Manufacturer with strong ethics and a love for keeping it real. Our success comes from having a great team of people behind some pet favourites with brands such as Billy & Margot, Farmers Market, Ivory Coat & Nature's Gift

The Opportunity

We are excited to be looking for an enthusiastic R&D Assistant to join our R&D Team based at our YATALA Manufacturing site. This is not a supervisor or manager role and is best suited to someone who has 2-3 years' experience in a similar role. 

This is known as a 'wet' site so you will need to be comfortable working in and around raw meat.

This role is key in supporting the Research and Development team in the development, testing, documentation, and operational coordination of new and existing pet food products. This role plays a key part in executing day-to-day activities such as sample preparation, trial support, inventory control, and invoice tracking. This role will combine your passion for pet food products with strong organizational and technical skills to assist in the efficient delivery of R&D projects.

You will be working in a team that is passionate about doing things well and working together to achieve our goals. No two days will be the same, but with a team that believes in working together, you will have the support you need to ensure our equipment runs efficiently and effectively.

Key Responsibilities:

Product Trials

• Collaborate with stakeholders (QA, Operations, and Procurement) to plan and execute product trials including generating work orders in QAD, assisting with the preparation, set and execution of product trials, assisting in the operation of manufacturing equipment, creating and maintaining reports with precise documentation, and prepare products for sampling.

Admin Management, Inventory Control and Procurement

• Liaise with Sales, Finance, Inventory, and Supply Chain to ensure all documents and product assessments are captured accurately and documented accurately to ensure traceability and project alignment. This includes ensuring timely payments, coordinating incoming deliveries, ensuring proper storage of ingredients and liaising with suppliers.

Laboratory Duties

• Full life-cycle support of R&D including preparation of lab, equipment and raw materials to conduct full analysis of NPD. Liaising with Third Party testing and conducting basic shelf-life, stability, and appearance checks as guided by the R&D team.

Compliance with all Safety and Sustainability Requirements as per RPF Policy

To be successful in this role, you will ideally have:

• Sound knowledge across the Microsoft office suite.
• Familiarity with AAFCO, FEDIAF, or NRC nutritional standards.
• Knowledge of R&D software systems (e.g., Lascom, Genesis R&D, or ERP platforms like QAD or SAP) or an aptitude to learn
• Understanding of food safety protocols and good laboratory practices (GLP).
• 2 years of experience in an R&D, laboratory, or food manufacturing setting.
• Previous experience in pet food or FMCG environments desirable but not essential
• Passion for animal health and interest in the pet food industry.
• Certificate in Food Science, Animal Nutrition or related discipline.

What We're About
Welcome to RPF, where we believe in keeping it Real.

Since 1994, we have been Australia and New Zealand's pioneers in fresher dog and cat nutrition. Our story is one of passion for a better way to care for pets, a belief in fresher nutrition, and an unwavering commitment to delivering this to pet parents and pets worldwide.

We're dedicated to fostering authentic partnerships, encouraging real ambition, and providing real career opportunities for our employees to make a difference.
Real means fresher ingredients and fresher methods. We'll never stop expanding, innovating, and trying new things. We compete in every pet category and channel, creating favourite brands such as Ivory Coat, Nature's Gift, V.I.P. Petfoods, and Love 'Em & Fussy Cat

Since the establishment of RPF, we have grown to over 900 people across Australia and New Zealand, China, Southeast Asia, and Europe.
With the pet industry growing rapidly (a $15 billion industry) and pets becoming increasingly important in our lives and homes, this is a unique opportunity to be a part of our remarkable growth story and advance your career.Why Join Us?

Do work that matters. We're pioneering in a new area of pet food, always striving for fresher. We're restless, creating a better life for our pets.

Make an impact and change the game. You won't be another 'cog in the wheel' here. We give full trust and autonomy for you to do your best work – and to make a real difference. Do you have a great idea for a new product or system improvement? We're all ears

Growing and global. We're growing fast We now have a global presence across APAC and Europe regions, and we're only getting started Work with a pack of awesome, genuine people who are passionate about what they do.

Grow your career with us. We're big believers in lifelong learning. You'll be given access to LinkedIn Learning, plus opportunities for internal mobility and leadership training to fast-track your career.

Pets are part of our family: Access our Pawrental leave when you adopt a new cat or dog, pet carer, and compassionate leave.

Generous perks including a day off for your anniversary, product discounts, volunteering days to help the community, novated leases, a rewards program, and parental leave

What's Next?

If you're ready to unleash your potential and make a real difference in the booming pet industry, then we want to hear from you
Should you be successful for an interview you can expect:

• An initial phone screen followed by 2 face-to-face interviews at a minimum
• A request for 2 references
• A Pre-Employment Medical

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Diversity's not a buzzword here, it's in our DNA. Diverse perspectives shape our culture and make our work better. That's why we're committed to building inclusive teams that represent a variety of backgrounds and skills. If you need any reasonable adjustments, accessibility assistance, or would like to note which pronouns you use at any stage of our hiring process, just contact us at accommodations: . We look forward to hearing from you.

Please note: NO agencies will be considered during this process. We encourage you to refrain from submitting unsolicited profiles