Senior R&D Manager

Position Summary:

The Senior R & D Manager is responsible for leading the daily operations and strategic direction of the Senior Bakery R&D Team. This role ensures the efficient use of resources to deliver timely, high-quality results in product development, documentation, and specification management. While primarily focused on team and project leadership, the Senior Manager also plays a hands-on role in key initiatives requiring technical depth and cross-functional collaboration.

Acting as the central point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, this position partners closely with the Sales, Category, and Operations teams—as well as the Director of R&D—to align objectives and ensure seamless project execution. The Senior Manager provides technical leadership through plant trials, process evaluations, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement, while also collaborating with suppliers to advance formulation, processing, and quality capabilities across the bakery portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of scientists, providing guidance, strategic direction, and critical decision-making support on project scope, feasibility, and execution.
• Oversee the investigation, planning, and commercialization of new products and processes, driving innovation and growth across the bakery category.
• Evaluate incoming project requests and allocate team resources effectively based on capability, workload, and business priorities.
• Track and report project progress, ensuring accurate documentation and strong communication across R&D, Sales, Marketing, and Operations.
• Conduct regular one-on-one and team meetings to review project milestones, address challenges, and plan next steps.
• Champion the professional growth of R&D team members through tailored development plans aligned with the company’s High-Performance Team culture.
• Build and maintain strong cross-functional relationships to support efficient project delivery and continuous improvement.
• Participate in customer and category planning meetings to identify opportunities, assess feasibility, and lead the execution of resulting initiatives.
• Provide technical leadership in the optimization of existing products, scaling formulations from bench to commercialization.
• Assist in the development of formulations, processing parameters, and technical specifications to ensure successful transition to production.
• Conduct performance reviews, provide coaching, and ensure team alignment with company goals and PMD guidelines.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Baking Science, or a related technical field required; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 10 years of R&D and/or Technical Services experience within food manufacturing, with strong exposure to commercial bakery products.
• Proven success managing and developing high-performing technical teams, including resource planning and performance management.
• Demonstrated experience leading new product and process development through commercialization.
• Experience collaborating with customers, suppliers, co-manufacturers, and cross-functional partners to deliver product innovation.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong understanding of food science principles, ingredient functionality, and bakery process technology.
• Broad knowledge of food ingredients, with specific expertise in grain-based systems preferred.
• Demonstrated problem-solving capability in plant environments, including troubleshooting and root cause analysis.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote) and related R&D or specification software.
• Familiarity with GMPs, AIB standards, and regulatory compliance in food manufacturing.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; capable of presenting technical content to varied audiences including customers and trade groups.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, balance short- and long-term objectives, and meet tight deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills, with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization.
• Proven ability to train and transfer technical knowledge to Operations, QA, and other plant teams.
• Demonstrated curiosity and enthusiasm for emerging food trends, new technologies, and continuous learning.