Senior R&D Innovation Leader - Dairy Platforms

Chobani; Twin Falls (ID); On-site; USD 121,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

401k match

Parental leave

Tuition reimbursement

Fertility and childcare assistance

Wellness program

Paid time off

Job summary

Chobani is seeking a Senior Manager, Technical Innovation to steer Fresh Dairy and ESL innovation platforms and pilot plant capabilities. You will design operating models, investment roadmaps, and analytical frameworks to manage demand, staffing, and capital, aligning technical direction with category strategy.

The role requires deep dairy/food processing knowledge, leadership of pilots, and capacity modeling, with a focus on safe, on-time, in-spec output and scalable innovation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science or Engineering; Masters preferred in related field or equivalent.
• 10+ years in the food industry; dairy preferred; 5+ years in people management.
• Track record steering innovation platforms from concept to commercialization.
• Deep command of dairy/food process unit operations and equipment.
• Strong knowledge of HACCP, GMP, allergen controls and validation.

Responsibilities

• Set the innovation capabilities agenda for Fresh Dairy and ESL platforms.
• Own capacity and staffing modeling for the innovation system.
• Model innovation output and cost per project for leadership review.
• Lead space upgrades, capital-improvement projects, and equipment upgrades.
• Govern governance for food safety, quality, and regulatory compliance.
• Develop supervisors, leads, and senior technical staff to build capability.

Skills

Food process engineering

Leadership

Data modeling

SQL/BI

Education

Bachelor of Science or Engineering

Master's preferred

Tools

PLC/SCADA

MES

SQL/BI

Job description

Chobani is seeking a Senior Manager, Technical Innovation to steer Fresh Dairy and ESL innovation platforms and pilot plant capabilities. You will design operating models, investment roadmaps, and analytical frameworks to manage demand, staffing, and capital, aligning technical direction with category strategy.

The role requires deep dairy/food processing knowledge, leadership of pilots, and capacity modeling, with a focus on safe, on-time, in-spec output and scalable innovation.