R&D Category Lead — Snacks & Innovation

Primo Foods; Sydney; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discounts on health insurance

Onsite parking

Parental leave

Novated leasing options

Travel discounts

Career growth opportunities

Collaborative culture

Innovation focus

Future of product innovation

Job summary

Primo Foods, Australia's leading smallgoods brand, is seeking an R&D Product Category Lead to own the innovation and value creation agenda for the Snacking & New Innovation category. You will lead a three-person R&D team and drive NPD, private label, export and foodservice initiatives.

The role sits on the R&D Leadership Team, delivering strategy into tangible projects while strengthening execution and capability across the function.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years' experience in R&D, product development and food manufacturing.
• Proven experience leading, coaching or mentoring technical teams and building capability in others.
• Demonstrated success delivering complex product development and commercialisation projects from concept to launch.
• Strong stakeholder management and ability to influence across functions.

Responsibilities

• Own and deliver the category innovation, renovation and value creation roadmap aligned to strategy and customer priorities.
• Lead and develop a team of three R&D professionals to foster accountability and continuous improvement.
• Drive successful execution of NPD, EPD, private label, export, QSR/foodservice and tech platform projects.
• Manage the category project portfolio with prioritisation, resources and timelines.
• Translate consumer and market insights into commercially viable product opportunities.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Sales, Operations, Quality, Procurement and Supply Chain to achieve outcomes.
• Provide hands-on technical leadership across formulation, trials, scale-up and commercialisation.
• Drive cost optimisation, ingredient innovation and process improvements.

Skills

R&D leadership

Food industry experience

Stakeholder management

Product development

Education

Degree in Food Science/Technology

Job description

Primo Foods, Australia's leading smallgoods brand, is seeking an R&D Product Category Lead to own the innovation and value creation agenda for the Snacking & New Innovation category. You will lead a three-person R&D team and drive NPD, private label, export and foodservice initiatives.

The role sits on the R&D Leadership Team, delivering strategy into tangible projects while strengthening execution and capability across the function.