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Director R&D NAFS
Pepperidge Farm Inc
Camden, NJ, United States
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Imagine…working for a company that knows that its people are the key to its success in the marketplace. A company in which achieving extraordinary results and having a stimulating work experience are part of the same process.
We cultivate and embrace a diverse employee population. We recognize that people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives fuel our growth and enrich our global culture.
We are looking for an individual who enjoys working in a fast-paced, team oriented environment, likes to be challenged, and values the opportunity to make a difference.
General Summary:
Reporting to the General Manager of North America Foodservice (NAFS) and functionally to the Head of R&D, this role is a key member of the NAFS Leadership Team and a member of the R&D Leadership Team. Incumbent will lead a multi-functional professional staff and is responsible for driving profitable growth for the portfolio. He/she will efficiently lead development and implementation of all aspects of the product development process including management of scope, prioritization of initiatives and management of external customers and partners. The incumbent will work cross functionally with other R&D functions, Marketing, Sales, Supply Chain and Finance. They will leverage culinary, technology, manufacturing capabilities and key consumer / customer / channel insights to develop new and differentiated products as well as provide coaching and leadership for technical staff of 10+ food scientists, engineers, regulatory and culinary professionals.
Primary Responsibilities:
Lead all aspects of new product development from concept to commercialization. Collaborate with all necessary cross functional teams including other R&D functions, Supply Chain, Sales, Marketing and Finance to identify, assess and implement initiatives to drive growth. Identify technology and culinary solutions that will bring innovation to the NAFS business, leveraging internal (Technology Solutions Hub) and external (comans, suppliers, incubators) relationships. Mentor and Coach team members for organizational effectiveness and program success. Leverage technical and business knowledge to identify and drive continuous improvement and cost savings initiatives. Work with other R&D leaders to cultivate and develop a culture of continuous innovation. Work with the Foodservice GM and Leadership Team to deliver AOP targets, identify risks/opportunities and develop plans to mitigate risks. Represents the R&D function on the NAFS LT and represents the NAFS Business Unit on the R&D Leadership Team.
Job Complexity:
• High level of comfort with an iterative product development process and the flexibility to direct and lead in an environment with rapid and often changing timelines and priorities.
• Ability to balance multiple project initiatives simultaneously and work under conditions of ambiguity.
• Understanding of business goals and the translation of those goals into high quality winning products on time and within cost constraints.
• Ability to manage all aspects of product development activities including timeline and budgeting through strong product development skills & project management skills.
• Strong communication and influencing skills with business partners, within R&D and across functions.
• Drives decision making across functions including R&D, Marketing, Sales and Manufacturing to insure clarity of objectives and program direction.
• Ability to understand, communicate and mitigate risk with respect to program deliverables.
• Utilization of consumer, customer and channels research methodologies and results to guide product formulation.
• Manage and motivate people to exhibit strong drive with ownership and deliver results.
Minimum Requirements:
• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science or related field required. Master’s degree in Food Science or related field is preferred.
• Culinary training and/or experience is highly preferred.
• Ten or more years related work experience.
• Strong strategic understanding/ability to align functional strategy with business strategy.
• Strong conceptual thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple responsibilities with urgency via prioritization and project management skills
• Excellent functional/technical skills, in particular knowledge of Food Technology/Baking Technology/Culinary Science.
• Ability to lead innovation/technology initiatives.
• Ability to create and lead change, setting and increasing standards of functional executional excellence.
• Excellent leadership, organizational and communication skills – oral & written, presentations.
• Collaborative team player with excellent influence and interpersonal skills; inspires confidence
• Significant supervisory experience with focus on employee development and coaching, along with improving organizational engagement and diversity.
The Company is committed to providing equal opportunity for employees and applicants in all aspects of the employment relationship, without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, marital status, veteran status, disability, age, religion or any other classification protected by law.
In that regard, U.S. applicants and employees are protected from discrimination based on certain categories protected by Federal law. Click here for additional information.