Meat Science & Innovation Leader — R&D Director

Smithfield Foods, Inc.; Smithfield (VA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 223,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation Package Available

Smithfield Scholarship Program

Be Well programs

Tuition assistance

Job summary

Smithfield Foods, Inc. seeks a Senior Director of Research & Development to serve as the senior technical leader across Fresh Pork and Packaged Meats, overseeing innovation, product development, commercialization, and technical execution.

Reporting to the VP of Technical Services, you will drive enterprise R&D strategy, lead cross-functional teams, and ensure successful market launches while delivering cost savings and manufacturing improvements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Meat Science, Food Science, Animal Science, Food Engineering, Biological Science, or related technical discipline and 15+ years of progressive Research & Development leadership experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 10+ years of demonstrated experience leading technical organizations, teams, and people.
• Significant experience leading managers, directors, and multifunctional technical organizations.
• Extensive expertise in meat science, food science, ingredient functionality, formulation development, and meat processing systems.
• Deep understanding of fresh pork and processed meat manufacturing processes.
• Demonstrated success leading enterprise-wide innovation and commercialization organizations.
• Proven experience commercializing products across multiple manufacturing facilities and complex production networks.
• Demonstrated success delivering measurable cost savings, yield improvements, operational efficiencies, and profitability enhancements.

Responsibilities

• Enterprise R&D Strategy and Innovation Leadership - Develop and execute the enterprise R&D strategy aligned with growth objectives and manage the R&D portfolio across innovation, productivity, quality, and cost initiatives.
• Commercialization and Product Delivery - Own successful commercialization execution across the enterprise from ideation to market introduction.
• Technical Excellence and Scientific Leadership - Provide leadership in meat science, food science, processing technologies, and product functionality.
• Manufacturing Performance and Cost Optimization - Partner with Operations to improve yields, throughput, and efficiency while driving cost-reduction initiatives.
• External Innovation and Technology Advancement - Identify new technologies and build partnerships with universities, suppliers, and industry experts.
• Organizational and People Leadership - Lead, coach, and develop leaders and technical professionals, drive talent development.

Skills

Strategic Leadership

R&D Leadership

Meat Science

Product Development

Commercialization

Cross-functional Collaboration

Analytical/Statistical

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Meat/Food Science or related field

Job description

Smithfield Foods, Inc. seeks a Senior Director of Research & Development to serve as the senior technical leader across Fresh Pork and Packaged Meats, overseeing innovation, product development, commercialization, and technical execution.

Reporting to the VP of Technical Services, you will drive enterprise R&D strategy, lead cross-functional teams, and ensure successful market launches while delivering cost savings and manufacturing improvements.