Director Product Development - Kettle

OSI Group•Aurora, IL

16h•$158,208 - $237,312•Hybrid

About The Position

This role is responsible for directing the activity of the corporate Product Development department in support of organization objectives. This position will work closely with cross functional partners to identify and prioritize projects that include planning, developing, and executing projects. This position will assist in developing and building leadership talent and capability within R&D.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in related field is preferred.
Deep knowledge of product life cycle and commercialization process.
Proven track record in developing and launching new products.
Excellent proficiency in all Microsoft Office Suite Products.
Demonstrated leadership skills with the ability to inspire and motivate team members to achieve goals and deliver results.
Knowledge of production equipment and applicable uses. As well as ingredient functionality and usage.
Strong analytical skills and problem-solving capability with a keen attention to detail.
Thorough knowledge of USDA and FDA requirements and impact on product development and production.
Excellent project management skills, with the ability to prioritize and to manage multiple ongoing project obligations simultaneously.
Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate with the cross-function teams and senior leadership teams effectively.

Nice To Haves

MA/MS/MBA or equivalent is preferred.
Meat Science, Dairy Science, Animal Science or Food Science.

Responsibilities

Lead and oversee the product development team in a dynamic a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
Leverage technical knowledge of product development and commercialization process with a strong drive for results and flawless execution.
Align with leadership business objectives and collaborate with cross function teams to execute product development plans and deliver results.
Evaluate, prioritize, and schedule projects; assign to Project Managers based on complexity, priority, and project loads.
Establish project objectives and work with Project Managers to identify obstacles, risk, solutions and to establish timelines.
Monitor project process and provide support and guidance for formulation, testing and scaling up in production.
Support sales team to create new business opportunities. Responsible for making initial customer contact during project start-up.
Guide the highest level of R&D discipline. Create and apply well defined test plans for potential new technology and equipment, evaluate results, document and make recommendations. Apply the same R&D discipline to trouble shoot and root cause analysis to address product performance issues.
Strive to develop the least product cost. Identify and execute cost saving opportunities.
Source, outline tests and recommend ingredients for flavor and functionality.
Acts as internal and external consultant for product development expertise.
Facilitate creativity to product and process development, as well as protecting intellectual property.
Establish and maintain vendor relationships.
May serve as Project Manager for more complex or critical projects.
This role has the responsibility to understand and place in practice appropriate safety procedures. This responsibility is achieved through education, training, use of protective equipment (as applicable) and by following safety policies, regulations, standards, and laws.
Identify the technical gap in the R&D and assist in developing the solutions.
Develop department talent by coaching team members, developing individual development plan and providing timely performance feedback.
Perform other duties as assigned.