Research and Development Manager

Our team is looking for a Manager, R&D – Innovation to partner with the Innovation Leadership Team to ensure we have a robust innovation pipeline.  The Manager, R&D Innovation will provide culinary and technical expertise and guidance related to the creation, launch and maintenance of new products.  This includes ingredient selection, recipe creation, specification development, process development, maintenance and troubleshooting expertise for all products.  This role participates in cross functional initiatives and is involved in routine product / process improvement activities and operations support.

Job Responsibilities:

• New product and concept development – Leads, facilitates, and partners with a cross-functional team, including Marketing, Sales, Operations, Leadership team(s), and others to develop unique, innovative, and exciting product concepts that are on-strategy and draw the consumer to our brand
• Plans, coordinates, and executes all aspects of product development steps, including but not limited to sample prep, trial management, new ingredient sourcing and product or ingredient maintenance activities
• Serve as technical and scientific expert on ingredient functionality, regulatory requirements and product functionality and properties
• Monitors marketplace for new trends, products, and/or flavors and competitor products and development activities
• Coordinates 3^rd party laboratory testing, analyze data and interpret appropriately to report results and make appropriate development decisions
• Understand and operate by the principles of Stage Gate for development projects
• Draft and improve New Product Development Processes
• Ensure compliance with plant safety standards and applicable regulatory requirements while following the company’s Good Manufacturing Processes
• Manage 1 direct report
• Travel 10-20%

**If you’d like to hear more about this opportunity and others we are currently working on, please contact Jeff Fee at jfee@cps4jobs.com.

JO:  347.23JF
#LI-JF1

Technical Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science, Food Processing / Engineering, Nutrition, Culinary or related field
• 5+ years of progressive R&D experience in a food manufacturing company
• Technical knowledge of food manufacturing processes, equipment, packaging
• Knowledge of Food Safety and Regulatory Compliance principles related to formulation
• Demonstrated leadership skills, including coaching, accountability, resilience and a strong team focus
• Ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to a wide range of intellectual and practical problems
• Demonstrated sense of urgency and sound judgment in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to speak to a diverse audience spanning from staff to executive levels
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills using data to draw conclusions and implement solutions
• Ability to work independently or as part of a team to accomplish organization goals
• Proficiency using Microsoft Office Software and Tools

**If you’d like to hear more about this opportunity and others we are currently working on, please contact Jeff Fee at jfee@cps4jobs.com.

JO:  347.23JF
#LI-JF1