Sr. Director, Science and Technology

TreeHouse Foods • Oak Brook, IL

8d • Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a Senior Director of Science & Technology to lead the enterprise Center of Excellence (COE), which is responsible for building and advancing TreeHouse Foods' technical capabilities across ingredient science, process technology, consumer understanding, and product optimization. This leader will serve as the company's highest level technical expert, driving long-term technology strategies while providing practical solutions that accelerate innovation, improve product quality, strengthen manufacturing capabilities, and unlock sustainable business growth. The organization will integrate Ingredient Technology, Processing Science, Culinary Innovation, Analytical Sciences, Consumer Research, and Sensory into one highly collaborative technical center supporting all business units. This role partners closely with Product Development, Packaging, Operations, Procurement, Commercial, Growth Unit Leaders, Quality, Regulatory, and external suppliers to translate scientific insights into scalable business solutions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science required
• 12+ years of progressive food industry experience.
• Demonstrated leadership of multidisciplinary scientific organizations.
• Deep expertise in ingredient functionality and food processing technologies.
• Experience leading enterprise technical initiatives across multiple product categories

Nice To Haves

• M.S. in Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Material Science or related discipline preferred

Responsibilities

• Establish enterprise-leading technical expertise across key product categories, ingredient technologies, and manufacturing platforms.
• Build recognized subject matter experts in ingredient functionality, processing technologies, analytical sciences, culinary innovation, consumer research, and sensory science.
• Serve as the organization's trusted technical advisor on complex scientific and technology challenges.
• Foster a culture of speed, agility, and experimentation.
• Develop rapid prototyping capabilities that significantly accelerate concept development, learning cycles, and commercialization.
• Simplify technical processes to reduce development timelines while maintaining scientific rigor and product quality.
• Identify and evaluate emerging technologies, ingredients, processes, and consumer trends that can create competitive advantage.
• Build long-term technology platforms capable of delivering breakthrough innovation beyond today's business needs.
• Challenge conventional thinking and promote bold, science-driven innovation.
• Develop and execute a multi-year Science & Technology roadmap aligned with enterprise growth priorities.
• Translate scientific discoveries into scalable commercial solutions that improve product quality, manufacturing capability, and business performance.
• Establish the organization as a recognized leader in food science and technology.
• Develop compelling customer showcase programs that demonstrate TreeHouse's innovation capabilities.
• Create repeatable frameworks for customer ideation sessions, rapid concept development, and collaborative innovation.
• Partner closely with Commercial teams to showcase differentiated technologies, product platforms, and innovation pipelines that strengthen customer relationships.
• Build enterprise capabilities that serve all business units through shared expertise, best practices, and standardized technical platforms.
• Promote collaboration and knowledge sharing across Product Development, Packaging, Operations, Quality, Regulatory, and Commercial teams.
• Develop enterprise technical standards that improve consistency, efficiency, and product excellence.
• Cultivate a culture of curiosity, learning, and continuous improvement.
• Encourage experimentation, external collaboration, and adoption of emerging technologies.
• Develop future technical leaders through coaching, mentoring, and capability-building initiatives.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation and benefits program with no waiting period
• 401(k) program with 5% employer match and 100% vesting as soon as you enroll.
• Comprehensive paid time off opportunities, including immediate access to four weeks of vacation, five sick days, parental leave and 11 company holidays (including two floating holidays).
• Paid training, tuition reimbursement and a robust educational platform – DevelopU – with more than 10,000 free courses
• Wellness and employee assistance programs.

What This Job Offers

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