Global Bakery & Confectionery R&D Leader

ICL Group; Missouri; On-site; USD 101,000 - 179,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base pay

Comprehensive benefits

Bonuses & 401k

Paid time off & volunteering

Career development

Employee discounts

Job summary

ICL Group seeks a Global R&D Leader for Bakery & Confectionery based at the Webster Groves Center of Excellence in St. Louis, MO.

The role drives innovation, portfolio strategy, and a technology roadmap, leading food scientists and coordinating with regional teams to deliver new products and improvements across markets. You will manage a high-performance team, oversee research directions, and collaborate with Sales, Product Management, and Segment Leaders to align objectives with business

Qualifications

• Advanced MS/PhD in Food Science or adjacent field.
• 10+ years of food ingredient experience in Bakery and Confectionery.
• Experience in new product and commercial development within the food industry segment.
• Strong interpersonal skills and team management.
• Exceptional project management acumen.
• Experience communicating with customers, suppliers, and senior leadership.
• Demonstrated skills in team-based decision making.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Results oriented with a track record of delivering business outcomes.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Willing to travel domestically and internationally ~20%.

Responsibilities

• Drive innovation-driven growth, customer co-development, portfolio strategy, and technology roadmap ownership for the segment.
• Develop comprehensive applications research plan to meet business objectives and introduce new products.
• Translate market needs and insights into an actionable innovation pipeline.
• Collaborate to optimize the product portfolio through innovation and renovation initiatives.
• Provide technical support requirements and review product specifications with sales leadership.
• Support application research for customers and opportunity development.
• Develop technical selling messages, tools, and training with Sales/Marketing.
• Collaborate with customers to understand needs and provide differentiated value-added solutions.
• Provide leadership and research direction for food scientists in Bakery & Confectionery.
• Foster a culture of innovation and problem solving; monitor industry trends.

Skills

Food science leadership

People leadership

Project management

Customer communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic thinking

Prioritization & multitasking

Results orientation

Organizational skills

Travel readiness

Education

MS/PhD in Food Science or adjacent field

Job description

ICL Group seeks a Global R&D Leader for Bakery & Confectionery based at the Webster Groves Center of Excellence in St. Louis, MO.

The role drives innovation, portfolio strategy, and a technology roadmap, leading food scientists and coordinating with regional teams to deliver new products and improvements across markets. You will manage a high-performance team, oversee research directions, and collaborate with Sales, Product Management, and Segment Leaders to align objectives with business