Director of Research & Development
Date Posted: 10-23-13
Reference Number: NEW
Location: South Bay Area
Position Profile
The Director of Research & Development will be responsible for strategic direction and technical know-how to the Research & Development team. This role will manage the development and further improvements to customer recipes for production. They will also direct the creation of any further refinement to policy, procedure and protocol for R&D projects and day to day activities. This person will be accountable for mentoring and developing a team of R&D personnel who interacts with members of the sales, operations and finance departments. The Director of R&D reports to the VP of Business Development.
Key Responsibilities:
- Establish departmental goals that align with the company’s strategic objectives
- Foster positive working relationships with all regulatory agencies, including USDA and FDA
- Develop and implement tracking programs to monitor progress of departmental goals/projects and provide analysis to direct management and the Executive management team
- Responsible for the development of and adherence to departmental budget
- Implement departmental training programs which include monitoring and validation procedures to measure progress of individual employees
- Drive projects by identifying the right balance between process and business deliverables
- Collaborate with functional group leaders to identify inter project dependencies and resource optimization strategies
- Network with industry organizations and peers to provide additional company resources and stay ahead of changes and trends within the industry
- Directly supervise, support and coach all subordinates in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws
- Provide functional and technical guidance to the R&D team
- Drive project management best practices, standards, methods, tools, metrics, etc.
- Enforce the R&D standards in accuracy, time lines, budgets and quality
- Participate in the formation of capital plan and Budgets as it pertains to identification and sourcing of replacement and new equipment and technologies
- Interact with customers in finding resolutions to customer issues
- Play a key role in vendor and raw material sourcing
Organization Profile
Our client is an innovative food manufacturer that has seen much success in their 15 + years. A leader in their industry, they partner with world class companies to provide them with the highest quality specialty food items. They are a privately held family company that is not only passionate about treating their employees with respect, but also giving back to the environment and community.
Position Requirements
- 10+ years’ experience in Food Manufacturing, preferably with USDA/FDA manufacturing
- 5+ years’ of overall experience in a R&D managerial role
- Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology or a related field. Graduate degree preferred
- USDA/HACCP Certification in Meat and Seafood
- Direct experience with GFSI Certification schemes (SQF, BRC, etc.) mandatory. Certified Practitioner is a plus
- R&D Chef or Culinology certification a plus
- Ability to communicate and work effectively with all organizational levels
- Proven leadership and team-building skills with the ability to plan and execute activities self-directed
- Demonstrated ability to lead teams in achieving strategic goals
- Strong computer skills – Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook, and ERP systems
- Demonstrated ability to build relationships internal and external to the organization with a focus on meeting or exceeding service and product expectations
- Knowledge of nutrition, food safety and food industry trends
- Proven project management experience
- Ability to lead, manage and energize cross-functional teams
- Strong multitasking
- High level understanding of Genesis R&D software
- Must have a solid understanding of food manufacturing technologies
- Strong multitasking skills with an ability to prioritize, delegate, follow-through and develop a flexible team
- Experience interfacing with high-profile clients in business and social settings
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to plan and execute activities self-directed
For further information or to offer referrals please contact:
Glenn Newman
Practice Leader | Consumer Packaged Goods
Management Recruiters of Berkeley
Office: (510) 898-9315
gnewman@mrberkeley.com | www.mrberkeley.com