Proactively lead the RD team by creating the vision and executing the technical plan aligned with business goals that increase growth and profitability for our client, a multi billion dollar dairy manufacturer. Collaborate with RD Steering Team Senior Leaders to evaluate and prioritize RD and people leadership to successfully implement new product, cost reduction, and tech service deliverables across the frozen, fluid, and cultured internal and external operational enterprise. Coach and develop team members to create a competitive advantage in RD capability.

Organize and structure team members and the R&D function to best support the ever-changing needs of the client.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide technical oversight to RD Steering Team Senior Leaders to evaluate/prioritize key RD initiatives by maximizing RD resource utilization that increase growth and profitability for $8B Division.
• Lead technically diverse group of managers, scientists, technologists, and consultants to successfully implement new product, cost reduction, and tech service deliverables across the frozen, cultured, and fluid (HTST, ESL, Aseptic) operational enterprise of 50+ internal/external facilities.
• Provide RD insights to ice cream leadership team to develop and implement strategic business plans for frozen dessert leader with 20+ internal/external brands that value consumer/customer relationships.
• Network to develop trust and build strong collaborative working relationships with business leaders.
• Create and maintain a winning culture that rewards teamwork, problem solving, results, and innovation.
• Provide high-level formulation expertise and technical/project leadership to develop and commercialize high quality products that that meet/exceed customer expectations and company margin targets.
• Proactively monitor product, process, and package technical developments and emerging trends to deliver innovative new/improved products that increase company profitability.
• Identify emerging technology and food trends and applies that knowledge to new product opportunities.
• Implement external alliance opportunities to enhance internal technical capabilities.
• Coach and develop team members to leverage strengths, develop new capabilities, and deliver results.
• Develop RD Program to align position descriptions, competencies/skills, performance reviews, development, and competitive compensation with business needs to attract and retain technical talent.
• Develop succession planning strategies and optimal organizational design of the function in a way that considers and plans for future business needs
• Ensure business/technical alignment through effective use of charters, deliverables, resources, prioritization, and monthly reviews.
• Participate in the development and oversight of the RD operating and capital budgets.
  

  Required Minimum Qualifications

  Education and Experience

• MS/PhD degree in Dairy/Food Science.
• Extensive working knowledge of the Dairy/CPG Industry.
• Technical depth/breadth in Frozen, Cultured, and Fluid (HTST, ESL, and Aseptic) Dairy Products.
• 20+ years of RD Product Development leadership across multiple dairy product categories.
• 10+ years of RD People Leadership with increasing levels of responsibility.

  Necessary Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Proactive leadership demonstrated by seasoned judgment and visionary thinking.
• Strong business orientation resulting in successful leadership of strategies and tactics.
• Well-developed executive communication skills.
• Proven ability to build organizational relationships and inspire trust.
• Entrepreneurial and comfortable with risk and ambiguity.
• Strong cognitive skills demonstrated by effective problem solving and innovation ability.
• Proactive innovative ability to leverage consumer/customer insights and technical capabilities into viable product prototypes.
• Skilled at evaluating technical feasibility of product, process, and package design.
• Politically savvy, results-oriented leader capable of leading a cross-functional technical team to successfully deliver new and improved products to the marketplace.
• Experienced at evaluating competition and protecting Intellectual Property.
• Ability to attract and develop talent.

For more information, please contact Moira McGrath at (954) 428-3888 or e-mail moira@foodscience.com