Senior Manager, Research & Innovation - Dairy Yogurt
About The Job
Reporting to the Director of Research & Innovation for Dairy Yogurt - Greek, this position leads a team supporting the Danone Yogurt businesses. The incumbent is responsible for managing and developing a team of food scientists, managing a portfolio of product development, productivity, and business continuity projects with a focus on the Greek Yogurt brands. representing R&I as a leader with both internal and external stakeholders.
Responsibilities
- Empowerment Champion – effective coach and leader of a team of Junior and Senior Food Scientists and Technicians. General oversight to drive technical superiority on project execution, business insights, with keen insight and action to career and talent development.
- Contributor, and coaches team to provides technical ownership to cross-functional teams including Marketing, Sales, Business Development, Operations, Finance, Engineering, and Quality Assurance.
- Influential communicator; provides effective oral and written updates to key stakeholders and business leaders. Discerns and clearly articulates technical information to variable audiences.
- Problem Solver – diverse knowledge of ingredients, product development principles, and industrialization. Skilled at combining technical proficiencies with a strong understanding of business fundamentals to create actionable solutions.
- Upholds rigorous technical documentation standards. Ensures, products align with company requirements for nutrition, regulatory, legal, and food labeling.
- End to end commercialization accountability; oversees teams development of prototypes, pilot plant, and industrialization.
- Technical lead in troubleshooting manufacturing and supply chain challenges.
- Influences and drives local, and global initiatives to support short, and long-term technical yogurt pipelines and development strategy.
- Superiority Defender – emphasize quality development and differentiation from competitors, promotion of health and nutrition, integration of food safety and quality, and creativity.
- Collaborates with consumer and product insight teams to propel competitive product formulations and assess disruptive innovations.
- Supports team in drafting experimental designs and development briefs that deliver on project needs, timelines, risk assessments, and project updates.
- Culture Creator – fosters high-performing connectivity, creativity, and curiosity.
- Leverages a hybrid work model, fosters team unity, and enhances effectiveness by harnessing the diverse talents spread across multiple R&D locations.
- Maintains, and cultivates existing and new vendor relationships to secure the necessary ingredients that align with prevailing company standards.
The base compensation range for this position is $110,000-150,000 commensurate with experience. Danone North America additionally offers a performance-based bonus and has a strong benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Drug Coverage, 401k Plan, Wellness Program, Life Insurance, Tuition Reimbursement, Flexible Time Off, and Paid Parental Bonding Leave, among other benefit plan options. To give our employees flexibility, Danone is a hybrid work environment.
About You
PREFERRED CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS
- The following combination of education and experience is required for this position.
- Bachelor’s degree in Food Science or closely related field with at least 10 years of relevant progressive experience.
- Master’s degree in food science or closely related field with at least 7 years of relevant progressive experience.
- PhD degree in food science or closely related field with at least 3 years of relevant progressive experience.
- Prior experience must include significant product development, commercialization, stage gate and research, preferably focused on yogurt, dairy, or similar fermented food.
- At least 1 years of previous experience managing direct reports required.
- Demonstrated examples of successful commercialization of yogurt and/or cultured products preferred.
Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities
- Demonstrated history of successful commercialization of in-market products that showcase meaningful points of difference, backed by trusted science, while delivering against consumer expectations
- Understanding of sensory and consumer validation tools to ensure product quality
- Awareness of consumer trends in ingredients, labeling and nutrition
- Knowledgeable of food safety, HACCP, regulations and quality programs
- Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Solid planning, organizational, executional and time management skills
- Drive for delivery of business results
- Strong project management skills and proven ability to work with cross-functional teams
- Ability and passion to manage and develop others
- Attention to detail and ability to multi-task multiple projects while assessing and alleviating risks
- Must be able and willing to travel up to 25%
- Ability to safely work in a variety of environments including office, laboratory, and/or manufacturing plant settings where occupational noise and other hazards may exist.
About us
At Danone North America, you’ll work with some of the best-known food and beverage brands in the world like Activia, Silk, Horizon Organic, Two Good, Oikos, evian, and Happy Family. You’ll be part of one of the largest Certified B Corps™ in the world, working together to make sure our brands create real benefits for people, communities, and the planet. We have 6,000+ employees across the U.S. and Canada. Come join our movement for a healthier world One Planet. One Health BY YOU.
Danone North America doesn’t just welcome what makes you unique, we value it. We’re proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All hires to our team are based on qualifications, merit and business needs. We recruit, employ, train and promote regardless of race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, genetic characteristic or any other protected status. Faithful to our values of openness and humanism, all of our employees share in the commitment to engage one another with dignity and respect. http//www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf
https//www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/OFCCP_EEO_Supplement_Final_JRF_QA_508c.pdf
