R&D Director

R&D Director

Location:
On-Site

Job Type
Full-Time, Permanent

Salary:
up to $190,000 per year Reports To: SVP, Marketing, Innovation & Business Strategy

About the Company
Join an established and growing bakery organization with a strong focus on product quality, innovation, and customer value. The company operates in a commercial food manufacturing environment and is focused on developing and commercializing innovative bakery products while continuously improving existing products, processes, and formulations. The organization combines bakery expertise, manufacturing capabilities, and a strong customer focus to bring new products from concept and development through pilot testing and full-scale production. This is an opportunity to play a key leadership role in shaping the company's future product innovation and technical capabilities. Position Summary Our client is seeking an experienced R&D Director to lead the company's bakery research and development and innovation agenda. Reporting to the SVP, Marketing, Innovation & Business Strategy, the R&D Director will bridge scientific expertise, consumer insights, and commercial execution to drive the development and commercialization of innovative bakery products, technologies, and formulations across multiple product categories. The R&D Director will lead a high-performing team of food scientists, R&D chefs, and bakery technologists, guiding projects from concept and bench-top development through pilot testing and full-scale manufacturing. As the technical leader of the innovation function, this individual will ensure that new concepts are translated into profitable, scalable, and operationally viable products while maintaining high standards of quality, food safety, and regulatory compliance. The successful candidate will work closely with Sales, Marketing, Operations, Manufacturing, Quality Assurance, and Supply Chain to support strategic growth, product improvement, cost optimization, shelf-life enhancement, and successful commercialization.

Key Responsibilities
Innovation & Product Strategy
- Define and execute the company's long-term bakery innovation roadmap.
- Translate consumer trends and market opportunities into commercially successful products.
- Lead the product development pipeline from initial concept through commercialization.
- Prioritize R&D investments and resources in alignment with business objectives.
- Build and maintain a robust pipeline of new products and innovation initiatives.
- Identify opportunities to strengthen the organization's technical capabilities and competitive position. Technical & Product Development Leadership
- Oversee the formulation and development of breads, pastries, batters, doughs, and related bakery products.
- Apply advanced knowledge of ingredient functionality, including flour systems, enzymes, yeast, sugars, fats, and hydrocolloids.
- Lead product development activities from bench-top formulation through pilot testing and full-scale manufacturing.
- Drive shelf-life extension, preservative systems, and moisture-management strategies.
- Lead product reformulation initiatives to improve cost efficiency while maintaining product quality.
- Support the development of innovative bakery products, technologies, and formulations.
- Ensure new products are scalable, manufacturable, and operationally ready for commercialization. Team Leadership & Capability Building
- Lead, manage, mentor, and develop food scientists, R&D chefs, and bakery technologists.
- Establish clear goals and expectations for the R&D team.
- Build a high-performance culture focused on technical excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement.
- Strengthen organizational technical capabilities through training, mentoring, and professional development.
- Evaluate team performance and identify opportunities for talent development. Cross-Functional & Commercial Partnership
- Collaborate closely with Sales, Marketing, Operations, Manufacturing, Quality Assurance, and Supply Chain.
- Ensure new products are aligned with customer requirements and commercial objectives.
- Ensure products are profitable, manufacturable, scalable, and operationally viable.
- Provide technical support for customer presentations, product specifications, and pricing discussions.
- Support the successful transition of new products from development into commercial production.
- Work cross-functionally to resolve technical, product, quality, and manufacturing issues. Quality, Compliance & Food Safety
- Ensure product development activities comply with applicable food safety requirements and regulatory standards.
- Ensure compliance with labeling, allergen, nutritional, and other applicable requirements.
- Maintain high standards of technical excellence throughout product development and commercialization.
- Ensure products are operationally ready and meet established quality requirements prior to launch.
- Support continuous improv