Manager, R&D - Innovation

About

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.

Primary Roles

• Lead end-to-end innovation initiatives from ideation, feasibility, and prototyping to pilot and scale.
• Translate business needs and market trends into actionable R&D roadmaps.
• Lead, mentor and develop R&D Scientist.
• Partner closely with Marketing to lead innovation pipeline.
• Stay abreast of competitive product landscape, review gaps in market, and stay on top of customer trends.
• 1-2 direct reports (inclusive of technician)

Job Responsibilities

• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to navigate ambiguity and technical complexity.
• Highly collaborative, with the ability to influence cross-functionally.
• Hands-on leader who can switch between strategic thinking and tactical execution.
• Organized, proactive, and comfortable owning multiple work streams at once.
• Strong technical depth combined with business acumen.
• Build product briefs and progress them through bench samples, prototypes, and full product development, integrating consumer insights and providing support through full-scale production.

Salary

$125,000 - $150,000

Benefits Available

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Chemistry or related technical field
• 8+ years of relevant work experience with some leadership experience
• Strong communication skills
• Some travel required

Preferred Qualifications

• Exposure to stage-gate, agile, or hybrid innovation frameworks
• Proven experience in managing complex innovation projects
• Experience in snacking, plant-based proteins, cheese, dairy and/or functional ingredients

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: 48.26JF