Senior Manager of Product Development

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

1. Manage and provide direction to staff of scientists and engineers to achieve annual goals.
2. 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.
3. Ensure the product development team activities meet company cost capacity, quality, IBT and product development requirements.
4. Manage and prioritize team activities including: supervision of staff resources, project/product assignments; monitoring results, and taking corrective action when necessary.
5. 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.
6. R&D representative on Integrated Business Teams (IBTs).
7. Leads R&D programs in the area of Cost Out and Innovation.
8. Partner closely with Marketing, Procurement, Finance and the IBTs to develop team priorities.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. Provide technical support to operations to continuously reduce cost of goods and improve quality.
13. 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.
14. R&D point person for Co-Manufacturing and Business Development teams.
15. 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.