Head of Food Product Innovation & Development

OSI INDUSTRIES, LLC; Aurora (IL); On-site; USD 158,000 - 237,000; Full time

Job summary

OSI Group is seeking a senior leadership role in Product Development to direct the corporate department and partner with cross-functional teams to plan, develop, and execute product initiatives. The role emphasizes mentorship, leadership talent development, and driving as well as scaling new technology and ingredients while aligning with business objectives.

The position requires extensive experience in product development, a strong understanding of regulatory requirements (USDA/FDA), and a

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in product development or related field.
• Deep knowledge of product life cycle and commercialization process.
• Proven track record in developing and launching new products.
• Thorough knowledge of USDA and FDA requirements and impact on product development and production.
• Excellent project management skills with ability to prioritize and lead multiple projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee the product development team in a dynamic and fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Align with leadership objectives and collaborate with cross-functional teams to execute product development plans and deliver results.
• Evaluate, prioritize, and schedule projects; assign to Project Managers based on complexity and workload.
• Establish project objectives and work with Project Managers to identify obstacles, risks, solutions and timelines.
• Monitor project process and provide support for formulation, testing and scaling up in production.
• Support sales team to create new business opportunities and initiate customer contact during start-up.
• Apply rigorous R&D discipline to test plans, evaluate results, document findings and make recommendations.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and work to reduce product costs.
• Establish and maintain vendor relationships; may serve as Project Manager for complex projects.
• Ensure safety procedures are understood and followed.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

R&D leadership

Communication

Education

MA/MS/MBA or equivalent

Meat Science/Dairy Science/Animal Science or Food Science

Job description

OSI Group is seeking a senior leadership role in Product Development to direct the corporate department and partner with cross-functional teams to plan, develop, and execute product initiatives. The role emphasizes mentorship, leadership talent development, and driving as well as scaling new technology and ingredients while aligning with business objectives.

The position requires extensive experience in product development, a strong understanding of regulatory requirements (USDA/FDA), and a