Director of Research & Development, Food Processing

at  SkjodtBarrett Foods

WHO WE ARE

Skjodt-Barrett is a world-class manufacturer of food solutions and custom ingredients for North America’s most beloved and trusted brands. We take pride in working closely with our customers to understand their unique needs and create innovative, individualized solutions that deliver joy to their customers.
A family-founded company started over 35 years ago, we are backed by the investment company Axel Johnson Inc (AJI). With their investment and support, we are well-positioned to foster growth and explore new opportunities.
Our customers, blue-chip international brands and mid-sized producers alike, are why we exist. Our teams of innovators, communicators, and managers are the people who meet their needs, build trust, and exceed their expectations.

WHO WE NEED

Reporting to the Chief Revenue Officer, we are looking for a leader to join us as a Director of Research & Development, Food Processing. This is an opportunity to bring your food science knowledge and passion for nurturing teams together to introduce processes and lead a team of 15 people. You will provide strategic direction, decision-making, and leadership for new product development, commercialization and current product optimizations.
This is a hybrid role working 3+ days per week onsite at our cutting-edge facility in Brampton, Ontario.

WHO YOU ARE

You are a Senior Manager or Director in Product Development or R&D at a food, ingredient or beverage company looking for your next move. You know there are not many Director of R&D roles with research teams within the GTA but you want to stay where you have roots and connections. You are ready to take on the accountabilities of a Director role where you can bring your insights, best practices, and industry knowledge to make an impact on an evolving team.

APPLY NOW.

At Skjodt-Barrett, we aim for diversity, equality, accessibility and inclusion in all of our operations and interactions. We welcome and appreciate candidates with a range of backgrounds and experiences. If you have 70% of the qualifications we are looking for and want to play an integral role in delivering innovative food product solutions, apply to express your interest.

• The experience. You have a background in Food Science and experience in the food processing industry, specifically in product design and development. Or, you have worked in a similarly complex, high-speed industrial product development environment. You have led cross-functional teams, creating and implementing product development strategies and overseeing the execution of multiple complex deliverables simultaneously. You come with resilient, scalable processes and best practices to introduce efficiency and reduce waste (time, energy, resources, money). You are comfortable participating in trials and working in a high-speed manufacturing facility.
• The technical knowledge. You have a high-level understanding of product formulation and ingredient functionality. You have the business and industry knowledge to guide a product team as they evaluate ingredient effectiveness (flavour, colour, consistency, stability, etc.), availability, and costs to fit budgets, timelines, and demand. You have an understanding of the product innovation and renovation process from concept through commercialization. You recognize how product formulations are processed in ERP systems (i.e. D365 or SAP) to contribute to driving material demands and production planning and the importance of data integrity.
• The people leadership. You can build and nurture trusting relationships, fostering a collaborative, continuous learning and innovation culture. You are passionate about developing and supporting the individuals on your team and can teach new skills from the basic to the complex. You can navigate conflict, remove barriers, and prioritize communication. You lead by example and can influence with and without authority. You have proven success in change management, implementing new processes and creating engagement.
• The interpersonal skills. You have exceptional verbal and written communication skills, including creating documentation, generating reports, and making presentations. You are a strong collaborator who is able to work cross-functionally with internal and external stakeholders. You genuinely appreciate diverse experiences and backgrounds and are interested in understanding others, hearing their perspectives, and addressing their concerns.