Ice Cream NPD Lead: Innovation & Factory Handover

Dreyer; Bakersfield (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream is seeking a New Product Development Specialist to provide technical leadership for innovation and renovation projects across the ice cream business. You will serve as the technical and project management lead on cross-functional teams.

This role focuses on ensuring products are developed and handed over to factories, transferring knowledge on product and process, and accelerating development with real-time feedback on the plant floor.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Food Science, Food Chemistry, Nutrition, or a similar field required
• 2–5 years of experience in the Food & Beverage industry, ideally in product development, nutrition, quality assurance, or food manufacturing
• Understanding of industry quality and food safety standards
• Knowledge of food and beverage raw materials, food packaging materials, food additives and allergens

Responsibilities

• Own the Implementation of Innovation & Renovation projects from brief to Factory handover.
• Work with cross functional team (Marketing, Factories, Procurement, Material suppliers, etc.) to scope and drive project team, utilizing project management tools, to achieve project goals, respect factory capabilities, keep to deadlines to ultimately delight the consumer.
• Perform product & process development activities (e.g. mockup, bench top, pilot plant, distribution testing, and factory testing) to achieve project goals and deadlines.
• Assure accuracy and a timely hand-over of new product documentation to the factory team to allow for a successful industrialization.
• Completion of costs, concept and technical dossier forms and ensures technical and commercial sign-off.
• Ensure adherence to all regulatory, legal and company standards. Align with Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream requirements and local regulatory framework.
• Work closely with internal procurement teams, and technical to ensure all new materials don’t add additional complexity and / risk and or waste to the factory
• Continuous improvement of technical skills and personal development, while growing internal and external networks.
• Develop expertise for product/process mastership within NPD. Develop the proficiencies required for product/process mastership to be able to support our factory operations.
• Provide first line support to factories. Ensure knowledge transfer related to product/process mastership to eliminate the root cause of assistance requests
• Has a strong knowledge of ice cream raw materials, recipe, product and process across the factories (Factory experience, Pilot plant, formalized learning and mentorship programs)

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Food Science, Food Chemistry, Nutrition, or a similar field

Job description

Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream is seeking a New Product Development Specialist to provide technical leadership for innovation and renovation projects across the ice cream business. You will serve as the technical and project management lead on cross-functional teams.

This role focuses on ensuring products are developed and handed over to factories, transferring knowledge on product and process, and accelerating development with real-time feedback on the plant floor.