R&d Manager- Productivity

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 based in North York. The **R&D Manager
- Productivity** will play a key role in enhancing product quality, sensory and affordability of our core products while elevating team capabilities and instilling a culture of technical discipline and creative problem-solving. As the R&D manager, you will be responsible for strengthening our current product portfolio through driving quality improvements, exploring cost saving opportunities and collaborating with operations to troubleshoot processing issues and optimize line efficiencies. 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 deep understanding of manufacturing processes and a passion for using numbers to demonstrate impact through improving the quality of our products, cost savings and process optimization. You will be fascinated by optimizing processes 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**:
**Driving Productivity**
- Accountable for leading R&D Productivity initiatives to improve quality, lower costs and optimize efficiency on our production lines.
- Leads and refines the R&D EfficienCI process from idea generation to implementation in production, leveraging technical solutions to improve efficiency and value delivery. Ensures projects adhere to Riverside strategy, food safety programs, planned timelines, target product attributes and parameters, and sustainability goals.
- Coaches the team to creatively assess raw materials, formulations, and processing costs to identify savings opportunities without compromising product quality.
- Identifies when sensory validation is required to guide project decisions and ensures decisions are based on robust sensory data.
- Guides the team to develop robust technical recommendations based on thorough data analysis (using appropriate statistical methods) and sound scientific reasoning.
- Guides the team to troubleshoot real-time production issues on the factory floor using a scientific approach, collaborating with stakeholders to arrive at evidence-based solutions.
- Responsible for enabling proactive and timely R&D collaboration with key stakeholders such as FSQA and Procurement to ensure our consumers receive consistently high-quality products.
- Coaches team to deliver and maintain accurate, clear and appropriately detailed technical specifications (formulations, procedures, visual standards) across all technical systems.
- Identifies opportunities for cross-functional training for Operations and FSQA on key quality parameters, visual appearance standards and product sensory attributes
- Collaborates with engineering and other internal partners to ensure required product quality standards are met during commissioning of existing technologies at Riverside.

**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 technical 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 changes to existing formulations and supports the team to flag technical risks in a timely manner.

**Continuous Improvement**
- Promotes a culture of conti