Director of Research and Development – Portfolio Management

Balchem Corporation•Montvale, NJ

About The Position

The Director of Research and Development – Portfolio Management is the R&D leader responsible for portfolio visibility, prioritization, stage-gate process effectiveness, and execution discipline across Balchem’s Human Nutrition & Health (HNH) business. The role ensures R&D programs—including market-driven innovation, customer-driven new product development, and support projects—are clearly defined, appropriately prioritized, and effectively executed. The Director leads a team of project managers and coordinates work across Food Solutions, Minerals & Nutrients, and Technical Operations, while maintaining visibility into related R&D activities in other business segments to support alignment where appropriate. The Director partners with R&D and cross-functional leaders to align project objectives, timelines, resource capacity, and business priorities. The role leads portfolio governance, reporting, and metrics, and serves as the primary R&D interface with Finance for portfolio valuation, resource planning, and performance tracking. It also owns HNH R&D project and portfolio management systems and serves as the R&D subject matter expert for related ERP activities. The position is accountable for the safety of R&D personnel and activities within its scope and for ensuring compliance with regulatory, quality, and corporate standards. Work involves computers, collaboration platforms, and project management tools. Some business travel by automobile, bus, train, and plane is required. Occasional participation in laboratory, pilot, or manufacturing environments may be required to support project alignment and execution.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science degree in Business, Science, Engineering, or a related field.
At least 10 years of experience in project management, portfolio management, or related roles within technical, R&D, or CPG environments.
Proven experience leading project management teams and complex cross-functional portfolios.
Strong understanding of product development lifecycles, including market-driven innovation, customer-driven NPD, and commercialization processes.
Experience working with project and portfolio management systems and tools.
Strong business acumen, including experience with financial metrics, portfolio valuation, and resource planning.
Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
Strong leadership skills and experience developing and managing teams.
Outstanding communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to drive alignment across diverse stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in a matrixed, cross-functional organization.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree such as an MBA, M.S., or similar.
PMP certification or an equivalent project management certification.
Experience working with ERP systems and cross-functional data processes.

Responsibilities

Ensure the safety of R&D personnel and activities within scope, promote a culture of zero injuries, and ensure compliance with regulatory, quality, and corporate standards.
Lead portfolio management, execution discipline, and reporting across HNH.
Develop, maintain, and provide visibility into the R&D project portfolio across HNH business units.
Partner with Food Solutions, Minerals & Nutrients, and Technical Operations leadership on project prioritization, sequencing, and trade-off decisions.
Ensure projects have defined scope, objectives, timelines, and success criteria, with prioritization supported by structured data, evaluation criteria, portfolio balance, and resource capacity.
Maintain an appropriate balance of market-driven NPD, customer-driven NPD, and support projects in accordance with defined frameworks and available resources.
Monitor resource allocation, capacity, and execution risks to support realistic planning and delivery.
Lead a team of project managers responsible for major R&D programs across HNH.
Establish and continuously improve project management standards, tools, stage-gate governance, and ways of working across project processes.
Lead and improve HNH R&D stage-gate processes and systems, supporting adoption, execution discipline, and alignment with business and portfolio needs.
Drive cross-functional accountability for project progress, timelines, deliverables, and outcomes, including identifying and escalating risks or constraints.
Plan and facilitate monthly innovation and portfolio review meetings for each HNH business unit; drive follow-up actions, decision tracking, and adherence to commitments.
Develop and maintain portfolio and project metrics, including value, status, timelines, and resource utilization.
Track and report R&D organizational performance, including portfolio value, project delivery, team utilization, and progress against annual objectives.
Serve as the primary R&D interface with Finance for portfolio valuation, resource planning, and performance tracking; lead executive-level reporting and presentations.
Own and maintain project and portfolio management systems and serve as the R&D subject matter expert for ERP-related activities within HNH.
Ensure data integrity, system utilization, and alignment of R&D data with business, financial, and stage-gate tracking needs.
Lead training, adoption, and continuous improvement of systems, tools, workflows, and governance processes across R&D.
Coordinate accountability across R&D, Commercial, Finance, and Technical Operations, aligning strategy, priorities, execution, and cross-functional commitments.
Maintain visibility into R&D processes and project management practices in other business segments and support alignment where appropriate.
Build, lead, and develop a high-performing Portfolio Management team; own talent development, capability building, and succession planning within the PMO function.
Establish a culture of accountability, transparency, and execution excellence, and model safety, quality, and professional standards.
Perform other duties as assigned.