Job Description
A leading food and pet product company is seeking passionate, driven individuals to join a dynamic team dedicated to creating accessible and delicious food for people and pets. The company is expanding into new markets while maintaining a focus on quality and innovation, driven by the mission to enhance lives through great-tasting food.
Location: this position offers hybrid flexibility out of our corporate campus in Lakeville, MN. Relocation assistance provided for highly qualified candidates.
JOB ACTIVITIES/DUTIES
- Manage and provide direction to staff of scientists and engineers to achieve annual goals.
- Provide technical guidance and work direction in the development of new products and improvements to existing products in the areas of innovation, cost savings and quality.
- Ensure the product development team activities meet company cost capacity, quality, IBT and product development requirements.
- Manage and prioritize team activities including: supervision of staff resources, project/product assignments; monitoring results, and taking corrective action when necessary.
- Communicate and work with staff to ensure successful job performance and meet stated expectations. Aid in development of staff and conduct annual formal performance reviews.
- R&D representative on Integrated Business Teams (IBTs).
- Leads R&D programs in the area of Cost Out and Innovation.
- Partner closely with Marketing, Procurement, Finance and the IBTs to develop team priorities.
- Ensure the product development team partners and works effectively with other technical functions including, but not limited to products research, consumer insights, process engineering, packaging, QFS, etc.
- Provide technical expertise and serve as a resource to the company in areas including, but not limited to, product and process development, ingredient-and-package material interfaces, shelf-life testing, consumer acceptability, attribute drivers of liking, ingredient functionality, and ingredient-in-equipment interactions, reactions, and predicted outcomes.
- Monitor developments outside the company including, but not limited to, new ideas/concepts, competitive activity, new product/ technology introductions, regulatory and legal landscape, consumer and customer feedback.
- Provide technical support to operations to continuously reduce cost of goods and improve quality.
- Oversee start ups of all new product introductions or renovations to assure they meet time line expectations and to assure the performance metrics match P&L expectations.
- R&D point person for Co-Manufacturing and Business Development teams.
- Carry out all company programs, policies, and procedures.
Qualifications
Education: BS/MS in Chemical Engineering, Food Science, Animal Science or a related field required.
Experience:
- Minimum of 7 years of experience in the food industry in product and process development or improvement roles.
- Broad, successful experience in bringing many different types of new unique products to market - from concept to national launch.
- Expertise in process optimisation, product formulation, statistical process control, and quality improvements.
- Experience working in a production facility required.
- Experience in pet food development required.
- Experience managing technical scientists and/or engineers required.
- Able to provide quick technical direction and guidance to product and process developers on many different projects simultaneously.
Skills:
- Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to understand the balance between dependence and independence as it pertains to decision making and bringing in upper management.
- Able to foresee technical issues with new product development well in advance in order to effectively determine the right solutions to keep projects on time and at budget.
- Ability to organize and interact, support, facilitate and lead multi-functional work teams
- Ability to provide work direction to assigned resources
- Ability to lead team to a consensus; strong negotiation and influencing skills.
- Ability to manage multiple projects, in a fast paced environment, meeting deadlines, and communicating status. Demonstrated problem-solving skills.
- Proven innovation and creativity.
- Experience using statistical methods and design of experiments.
Other Requirements:
- Travel up to 25% domestic and some international.
- Ability to lift 25 kg.
