Food R&D & Innovation Lab Lead

Clear Destination Inc.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 125,000 - 199,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) match

Career development

Paid time off

On-site facility

Great Place to Work

Job summary

Quadra is building the Chicago Ingredients Applications Lab and seeks a hands-on R&D / Innovation Manager to launch and lead it. You will establish equipment, workflows, and operating practices while collaborating with customers, suppliers, and the commercial team to drive innovation.

You will shape future capabilities, recruit technical talent, and build a high-performing applications group that supports Quadra's growth across the United States.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's in Food Science or related field; master's considered an asset.
• 10+ years in R&D, applications, product development, or tech service in food industry.
• Hands-on formulation and prototype development in food/nutrition categories.
• Troubleshooting formulations and translating tech work to customer solutions.
• Experience establishing or improving lab processes, docs, and workflows.

Responsibilities

• Launch and operationalize the Chicago Ingredients Applications Lab, incl. equipment, workflows and safety.
• Develop a lab strategy and tech-support roadmap aligned with U.S. business growth.
• Lead technical partner to the U.S. commercial team; provide formulation guidance and troubleshooting.
• Translate customer needs into app concepts, demos and prototypes for commercial opportunities.
• Collaborate with Sales and Product Marketing on customer calls, trainings and campaigns.
• Build relationships with strategic suppliers and support supplier growth through prototypes.
• Create and maintain sample libraries, protocols, and technical resources.

Skills

Builder mindset

Technical credibility

Commercial curiosity

Customer focus

Leadership

Collaboration

Accountability

Creativity

Sense of urgency

Problem solving

Organization

Dynamic communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science

Tools

Genesis

Microsoft 365

Job description

Quadra is building the Chicago Ingredients Applications Lab and seeks a hands-on R&D / Innovation Manager to launch and lead it. You will establish equipment, workflows, and operating practices while collaborating with customers, suppliers, and the commercial team to drive innovation.

You will shape future capabilities, recruit technical talent, and build a high-performing applications group that supports Quadra's growth across the United States.