Senior Vice President, Science & Technical Excellence

J.M. Smucker Co • Orrville, OH

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of Science & Technical Excellence at enterprise scale. As a key member of the senior leadership team, you will define the strategy, standards, and capabilities that protect our consumers, strengthen our brands, and enable innovation across a dynamic and growing portfolio. This role offers the chance to lead through both influence and action—elevating technical rigor, accelerating commercialization, and building the foundations that help the business safely grow and compete.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Engineering, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in consumer packaged goods, food, or other regulated industries.
• Proven leadership across multiple technical disciplines, including Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Packaging, Analytical Services, and related functions.
• Experience leading at scale within a complex, multi-business unit environment and driving transformation through cross-functional integration.
• Executive presence with deep knowledge of regulatory frameworks, quality systems, risk management, and commercialization processes.

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrated ability to think enterprise-wide and integrate strategy across functions and business units.
• Strong track record of balancing speed and rigor in high-stakes decision-making and risk management environments.
• Experience building strong teams, enabling innovation, and driving operational excellence across matrixed organizations.

Responsibilities

• Shape and advance the enterprise Science & Technical Excellence strategy, aligning technical priorities, governance, and operating models with business growth, innovation, and commercialization goals.
• Set the standard for quality, food safety, and regulatory excellence by strengthening systems, driving consistency across the network, and ensuring the enterprise remains resilient, compliant, and consumer-focused.
• Lead enterprise technical decision-making across packaging, analytical services, laboratories, product specifications, and technical writing to unlock performance, enable innovation, and reinforce confidence in our data and documentation.
• Serve as the senior authority on product safety and technical risk, guiding crisis readiness and critical decisions that protect consumers, brands, and the business.
• Partner across Research & Development, Supply Chain, Commercial, Legal, Procurement, and Operations to accelerate concept-to-commercialization and deliver scalable, compliant solutions that win in the market.
• Build, inspire, and develop a high-performing technical organization by elevating talent, strengthening capabilities, and fostering a culture of scientific rigor, continuous improvement, and proactive leadership.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior