RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Description
Research & Development
Elk Grove Village
Corporate Position
Manage product development team’s day to day tasks to assure timelines are met as related to the design, formulation, and engineering of custom food products. Custom developed food products that are developed to meet financial targets are essential to business growth. This role needs to assure efficient use of resources and disciplined development processes.
Key Responsibilities Areas:
Coordinate activities of Product Development function including but not limited to; ideation
with customers, formulating at the bench, meeting with suppliers, reviewing with operations
and procurement, timeline and process adherence.
· This role will be responsible for their own projects as well as their direct reports. They will be
involved in lab work hands on, will not only be a managerial role
· Execute the strategic plan set forth by VP R&D for the future growth, aligning with the
company’s overall strategic goals and objectives
· Oversight of development of new products based on customer requirements and specifications
· Prioritize and schedule all product development related activities; focus available resources
against projects that align with company objectives
· Coordinate all activities in the culinary and development kitchens, supporting prioritization and
schedule
· Manage applicable line items of R&D budget, ensuring that it meets the strategic plan for the
department in use of physical and human resources
· Participate in customer visits with sales team, preparing and presenting the company’s culinary
strengths and the ability of the function to support the customer in commercialization
· Work with manufacturing to ensure that samples and test runs adhere to the customer and
recipe specifications and manufacturing processes
· Ensure proper documentation of test data, raw ingredient specification, finished product
specification, product formulation and manufacturing processes
· Define clear accountabilities within the team.
Competencies:
Comfortable communicator, must be able to speak in groups and effectively message
· Makes Decisions based on a mixture of information, analysis, experience and judgment
· Creative thinker for both development of projects and process
· Understands how to separate and combine tasks into efficient workflow
· Can flex style to adapt to others when necessary and demonstrates ability to update priorities
· Works well with others to jointly achieve goals
· Monitors and evaluates plans, focuses on results and measures attainment of outcomes
· Acts as a resource to approach issues or disagreements with the objective of reaching win/win
solutions
Skills & Knowledge:
B.S. or M.S in food science, food nutrition, food engineering or related discipline required.
· 8-10 years' experience in R&D in custom food manufacturing company, preferably frozen food,
including a minimum of 5 years in a supervisory or managerial role
· Working knowledge of food science and technology and experience in product development
and commercialization, preferably in frozen food
· Ability to manage formulation, testing, and go to market activities for new products
· Possess excellent verbal, written and interpersonal skills
· Entrepreneurial spirit with a can-do attitude
· Exemplary planning and organization skills
· Embraces working within and across functional areas
· Working knowledge of product cost development
As an equal opportunity employer, Miracapo Pizza Company recruits, hires and promotes the most qualified individual, without regard to race, creed, color, age, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, veteran status, marital status or sexual orientation. All employment decisions are administered in a non-discriminatory manner and consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws.