R&d Manager- Commercialization

Join Riverside Natural Foods Ltd., a $300 million+ Canadian-based, family-owned, and globally operating business, committed to leaving the world better than we found it. As a B-Corp certified, Triple-Bottom Line company, we proudly manufacture nutritious, 'better-for-you' snacks such as MadeGood and GOOD TO GO. We value teamwork, humility, respect, ownership, adaptability, grit, and fun.

We're on an ambitious mission to double our business by 2027, and we need talented individuals like you to help us reach new heights. At Riverside, you'll have the opportunity to chart your own path to success while contributing to ours. We believe anything worth doing is worth doing right, and our values will guide us through the rugged terrain - and yes, it will get rough. But that's what makes the journey worthwhile.

So, lace up your boots and let's tackle the climb together.

We're looking for a dynamic and forward-thinking R&D manager to join our thriving team. The **R&D Manager
- Commercialization** will play a key role in fueling business growth, enhancing team capabilities and instilling a culture of technical discipline and creative problem-solving. As the R&D manager, you will be responsible for shaping the future of Riverside's products through commercializing innovations and renovations, providing technical support to key stakeholders as well as ensuring the delivery of consistently high-quality products to our consumers, driven by a mindset of continuous improvement. If you're looking to make a real, tangible impact on the R&D department, have strong technical experience and have a knack for seeking out discomfort, then this role is for you.

Reporting to the R&D director, the R&D manager will be technically curious, with a drive to understand our unique ingredients and how they interact with our production lines. You will be fascinated by technical setbacks and obsessed with problem solving. This role is fast-paced and will require the ability to make quick data driven decisions, take calculated risks and embrace change. You will have the opportunity to lead and coach a team of food technologists to senior scientists, championing technical excellence with a strong focus on the bigger picture.

**Primary Responsibilities**:
**Commercializing Innovations & Renovations**
- Accountable for the scale up of new formulations as part of the Riverside 3-year innovation/ renovation pipeline, taking into account equipment capability, nutritional profile, consumer needs, cost and sensory targets
- Leads the technical product development process for branded products from Launch Approval to production in plant. Follows the defined Riverside process for commercialization and ensures projects adhere to Riverside strategy, food safety programs, planned timelines, target attributes & parameters, and sustainability goals.
- Creates robust and data-driven risk mitigation plans for all innovation and renovations, updating the business as risk levels change.
- Coaches team to deliver accurate, clear and appropriately detailed technical specifications (formulations, procedures, visual standards) across all technical systems.
- Ensures efficient handover of new formulations to production through impactful cross-functional training for Operations and FSQA on key quality parameters, visual appearance standards and product sensory attributes
- Identifies when sensory validation is required to guide product development decisions and ensures decisions are based on robust sensory data.
- Collaborates with engineering and other internal partners to ensure required product quality standards are met during commissioning of new equipment/ production lines.

**Technical Excellence**
- Leads and provides technical coaching to a team of technologists to senior food scientists to deliver on R&D objectives and to achieve their developmental goals
- Strengthen technical capabilities within the team to drive higher technical confidence through targeted coaching and development of tools and training on critical thinking, experimental design and data-driven decision making.
- Understands how technical data relates to business goals and strategically communicates it to inform and influence impactful business decisions.
- Accountable for ensuring delivery of shelf-life reports for new formulations and supporting the team to flag technical risks early in the product development process.

**Continuous Improvement**
- Promotes a culture of continuous improvement, positivity and accepting change.
- Proactively explores ways to improve and enhance R&D product development processes to streamline for efficiency.

**Cross-functional Collaboration**
- Collaborates meaningfully with other Technical Design functions (Innovation, Packaging R&D, FSQA, Regulatory) to share technical knowledge, process improvements, and collectively drive scientific and technical expertise at Riverside.

**Education and Qualifications**
- Undergraduate degree in Food Science or a rel