Senior Director of R&D

Gehl Foods•Germantown, WI

About The Position

The Senior Director of R&D reports to the VP of R&D and leads and develops the R&D teams supporting Gehl Food & Beverage’s beverage, food, and co-manufacturing business units. The role drives innovation aligned with company strategy and develops a three-year product pipeline that is valued by core customers and profitable for the company. A primary responsibility is building a capacity-planning tool to align team resources with project load.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in food science and technology or business.
10 years of progressively responsible R&D experience in a food manufacturing company.
Demonstrated leadership skills, including coaching, accountability, resilience, and a strong team focus.
Demonstrated sense of urgency and sound judgment in a fast-paced environment.
Excellent technical writing and verbal communication skills, with the ability to address audiences from staff to executive levels.
Strong data collection, analytical, and problem-solving skills, using data to draw conclusions and implement solutions.
Ability to work independently or as part of a team to accomplish organizational goals.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and related software.

Nice To Haves

Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate with and influence others in the organization.
Ability to interpret, communicate, and execute plans or instructions in a time-sensitive manner with limited direction and resources in a frequently changing environment.
Technical knowledge of aseptic processes, equipment, and products.
Experience with dairy and dairy proteins.

Responsibilities

Define project scope at the outset and ensure projects are delivered within scope.
Support, communicate, and reinforce organizational and departmental initiatives to maintain consistent messaging and achieve targeted objectives.
Facilitate development and scale-up timelines and deliverables for internal and customer projects that meet product specifications.
Provide timely and accurate feedback to internal and external customers on project-related activities.
Support adherence to label development and compliance requirements.
Contribute to management of the R&D budget.
Ensure compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), Standard Operating Procedures, plant safety standards, and applicable regulatory requirements.
Ensure the team maintains competencies required for product legality, safety, and quality in accordance with the Quality Policy and Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) standard.
Help drive process improvements, such as the R&D-to-quality/operations hand-off.
Complete documentation to set up new raw materials in the company’s ERP system, following the change management process.
Build bench strength in junior employees through mentoring, coaching, and modeling best practices.
Lead development of a three-year innovation pipeline that meets the company’s growth objectives.
Build a capacity-planning tool to align team resources with project load.
Perform other duties as assigned.