Manager R&D, - Product Dev

Manager R&D,Taste ElevationBusiness Continuity

The R&D Manager,Taste Elevation(TE),Business Continuityleads product developmentin the sauces and condiments space across current portfolio ofTEbrands (e.g., Heinz, Kraft, Miracle Whip,etc.)while managing and developing a team of product developers supportingprimarilybrand maintenanceinitiatives. This roleis responsible fortranslating business needs, supply-and regulatory requirementsinto practical development plans, driving technical execution and ensuring projects progress effectively from concept through commercialization.

This leader is expected tooperateeffectively in a dynamic, cross-functional environment and to balancepeopleleadership with strong technical and project leadership. Success in the role requires sound product development judgment, the ability to manage multiple priorities, and strong collaboration across R&D, operations, quality, regulatory, marketing, and supply chain. The role also requires building team capability, setting clear expectations, and developing talent to meet current and future business needs.

KeyResponsibilities:

• Lead product development across multiple cross-functional projects and product categories within theTaste Elevationbusiness, including brand maintenance, portfolio evolution, and productivityinitiatives
• Manage, coach, and develop a team of product developers, including setting priorities, providing feedback, and building technical and leadership capability across product development and brand maintenance responsibilities
• Translate businessobjectives and regulatory requirementsinto clear development plans and ensure effective execution from concept through commercialization
• Partner with cross-functional teams to drive project progress, resolve technical issues, and deliver against business timelines
• Lead product testing, qualification, and commercialization activities across laboratory, pilot plant, and production environments
• Apply strong technical judgment to product, ingredient, process, and formulation challenges and guide the team through problem-solving and decision-making
• Communicate technical findings, recommendations, risks, and implications clearly to cross-functional stakeholders and leadership
• Manage multiple priorities concurrently and proactively identify tradeoffs, resource constraints, and priority conflicts across initiatives, including planned and unplanned brand maintenance asks
• Build strong ways of working across the team and cross-functional partners to improveexecution, clarity, and accountability
• Demonstrate flexibility and willingness to learn new categories, technologies, and processing areas in support of business needs
• Ensure high-quality documentation, technical rigor, and strong executional discipline across development work
• Mentor, coach, and collaborate with colleagues within and outside the immediate team to strengthen capability and business results

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degreerequired in Food Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Life Sciences, or a related field,plus a minimum of 6 years ofproduct development experience within CPG, food and beverage, or a related industry;or master’s degree plus a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience, or PhD plus a minimum of 4 years of relevant experience

• Demonstrated people leadership experience, including leading, coaching, and developing technical talent

• Strong knowledge of ingredients, product formulation, processing equipment, ingredient interactions, and laboratory test methods

• Proven ability to lead product development and commercialization across multiple projects and priorities

• Strong communication, influencing, project management, and problem-solving skills

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment with changing priorities

• Strong technical judgment and ability to design effective experiments, interpret results, and adjust plans as needed

• Self-motivated and able to deliver results with a high degree of ownership in a complex environment

• Strong ability to prioritize across competing business needs and make sound tradeoff decisions

• Willingness to travel up to 30%, including travel to internal plants, co-manufacturers, suppliers, and other business locations in the United States and Canada

Work Environment & Schedule

This position is considered aNormaloffice environment withsometravel or visits to external locations; offices are open workspaces. Additionally, this rolerequires inoffice presence at least three days per week in compliance withhybridwork schedule.

Physical Requirements

Physical demands include but not limited to

· Lift up to 30lbs, navigate lab, storage, and manufacturing environments.