Associate Director, Technical Services - Snacks

Ladders; United States; Remote; USD 132,000 - 181,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and dental benefits from day 1

401(k) plan with company match

Wellness benefits

Training and professional development

Job summary

Ladders, a leader in the Food & Beverages space, seeks an Associate Director, Technical Services - Snacks to lead technical operations across a fast-paced snack portfolio. You will guide process development, readiness planning, and plant startups with a focus on product quality, launch performance, and consumer satisfaction in a remote US setting.

You will build frameworks, standards, and communication rhythms to keep multiple initiatives moving, while driving continuous improvement and

Qualifications

• BA degree in Food Science, Engineering, or similar technical field.
• 10+ years in process development or manufacturing operations in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience leading teams and achieving results in a technical role.
• Strong commercialization and execution knowledge for plant settings.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects and influence change.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and deployment of technical capability programs to boost product quality.
• Manage readiness processes for timely innovation and vertical start-ups.
• Build a technical readiness playbook for business planning.
• Create standardized procedures for trial readiness and success criteria.
• Set post-launch scorecards and risk management standards.
• Drive continuous improvement for process health and consumer expectations.
• Implement communication plans to inform stakeholders about updates and objectives.

Skills

Process development

Project management

Team leadership

Commercialization knowledge

Change management

Education

B.A. in Food Science / Engineering

Job description

For our client, we are seeking a Associate Director, Technical Services - Snacks to join the team of a leader in the Food & Beverages space.

This leader is seeking a technical operations partner to strengthen product quality, commercialization readiness, and execution across a snack portfolio. The role will guide cross-functional teams through process development, trial planning, and successful plant start-ups, with a strong focus on consumer satisfaction and launch performance. You will also help build the frameworks, standards, and communication rhythms that keep multiple initiatives moving in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Location: Remote - US based candidates only, no visa sponsorship available

Compensation: $131,700 – $181,100 annually

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and deployment of technical capability programs to enhance product quality and consumer satisfaction
• Manage technical readiness processes to ensure timely innovation and successful vertical start-ups
• Develop and maintain a technical readiness playbook for critical business planning
• Create systematic operational procedures for trial readiness and success criteria alignment
• Establish standards for post-launch project scorecarding and risk management
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance process health and consumer expectations
• Implement effective communication plans to keep stakeholders informed about project updates and business objectives

Qualifications

• B.A. degree in Food Science, Engineering, or a comparable technical degree required
• Minimum of ten years of experience in process development, manufacturing operations, or project management in a manufacturing environment, preferably food-related
• Experience managing teams and driving results in a technical capacity
• Strong understanding of commercialization processes and execution requirements in a plant setting
• Ability to influence organizational change and manage multiple projects simultaneously

Benefits

• Competitive health and dental benefits starting on the first day of employment
• 401(k) plan with company match
• Wellness benefits to support employee health and well-being
• Opportunities for ongoing training and professional development

Our client is an equal opportunity employer.