Sr Director of Product Development & Regulatory

Dawn Food Products Inc • Jackson, MS

92d • $140,880 - $246,700

About The Position

The Senior Director of Product Development and Regulatory is a strategic leadership role responsible for driving innovation, ensuring regulatory compliance, and delivering agile, customer-focused product solutions across Dawn Foods’ North American business. This position leads the coordination and execution of product development initiatives, integrating scientific rigor, historical ingredient knowledge, and data-driven insights to create differentiated offerings that meet evolving market demands. This leader will proactively monitor and interpret changes in the regulatory landscape, implementing forward-looking strategies to ensure compliance and reduce risk. By embedding regulatory expertise early in the development process, this role ensures that Dawn’s products are not only innovative but also market-ready and compliant. Working cross-functionally with commercial, procurement, and operations teams, the Senior Director will help shape category strategies, resolve raw material shortages, and address quality and operational challenges. The role demands a strong understanding of ingredient functionality, process interactions, and manufacturing capabilities to unlock non-obvious solutions and deliver value to customers. The key focus of this role is to leverage science and historical insights to solve real customer problems, driving innovation that is both differentiated and commercially impactful. Success in this role requires the ability to engage directly with customers, understand their challenges, and apply a scientific approach to develop solutions that meet their evolving needs. By combining a scientific approach with strong interpersonal skills, this role enables the creation of a robust product portfolio that not only protects core business but also unlocks new growth opportunities. The Senior Director will also lead and develop a high-performing team of food scientists and regulatory experts, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, scientific excellence, and accountability.

Requirements

• A Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Material Science & Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical discipline with 8 years of progressive experience in product development, regulatory affairs, or food innovation.
• A Master’s degree in the above fields with 6 years of relevant experience.
• A Ph.D. in a related field with 4 years of relevant experience.
• A minimum of 3 years of people leadership experience, including coaching, mentoring, and performance development of technical teams.
• Experience building and managing a product innovation pipeline that supports core business, market expansion, and new category entry.
• A high level of business acumen with the ability to translate technical capabilities into commercial value.
• A deep understanding of ingredient functionality, processing technologies, and their impact on finished product performance.
• Demonstrated experience in processing R&D, including the interaction between ingredients, equipment, and manufacturing processes.
• A solid knowledge of North American food regulations and experience integrating regulatory requirements into product development.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in B2B food manufacturing, bakery, or ingredient technology.
• Familiarity with agile product development methodologies and cross-functional collaboration in a matrixed organization.

Responsibilities

• Lead Agile Product Development: Drive the end-to-end product development process with agility, ensuring rapid iteration, cross-functional collaboration, and alignment with customer and commercial needs.
• Deliver Customer-Centric Solutions: Translate customer insights and market trends into differentiated product offerings that create value and strengthen Dawn’s competitive position.
• Regulatory Strategy & Compliance: Monitor and interpret changes in the regulatory landscape, proactively integrating compliance into product development and commercialization strategies.
• Build Innovation Pipeline: Help develop and maintain a robust pipeline of product innovations aimed at defending core business, expanding market share, and enabling entry into new categories.
• Collaborate Cross-Functionally: Partner with commercial, procurement, and operations teams to support category strategy, resolve raw material shortages, and address quality and operational challenges.
• Advance Baking Science: Elevate Dawn’s scientific understanding of baking, ingredient functionality, and process interactions to unlock new capabilities and enable non-obvious solutions.
• Integrate Emerging Technologies: Identify and apply new technologies and methods to enhance product performance, sustainability, and manufacturing efficiency.
• Lead and Develop High-Performing Teams: Manage and mentor a team of food scientists, process engineers, and packaging experts, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Drive Scientific Rigor: Establish and promote robust scientific processes across R&D, ensuring data-driven decision-making and knowledge transfer to other functions.
• Support Business Agility: Provide rapid technical support for commercial initiatives, quality issues, supply chain constraints, and cost optimization opportunities.
• Strategic Portfolio Management: Evaluate and prioritize product development opportunities, balancing short-term deliverables with long-term strategic goals.
• Champion Dawn’s Values: Promote and embody the philosophies and policies of Dawn Foods, supporting the Circle of Excellence and contributing to a purpose-driven culture.

Benefits

• Industry-leading health insurance on Day 1!
• Competitive Pay
• 401(K) + company match
• 10 Paid Company Holidays
• Paid Time Off
• Professional training
• Family-owned business with over 100 years of service.
• An opportunity for career advancement, working as part of an empowering workforce.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Master's degree
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees