Senior R&D Manager, Food Innovation & Growth

Golden State Foods; Conyers (GA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Extensive benefits

Job summary

Golden State Foods is seeking a Senior R&D Manager to lead product development strategy and execution, driving innovation and customer growth across the organization. The role partners with Commercial, Procurement, Operations, and Quality teams to advance opportunities and ensure successful commercialization.

The position requires leadership of a Product Development team, scale-up activities, and strong expertise in food chemistry, processing, and safety to maintain competitive advantage.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Engineering, or related field required.
• Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum 8-10 years of relevant food industry experience.
• 4+ years of people leadership experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute product innovation strategies aligned with business growth and customer objectives.
• Identify emerging consumer trends, ingredient technologies, and competitive opportunities.
• Drive innovation pipelines including new products, reformulations, line extensions, and cost optimization initiatives.
• Partner with Commercial, Procurement, Operations, and Quality teams to prioritize strategic opportunities.
• Lead, coach, and develop Product Development team members and succession plans.
• Build organizational capability through technical standards and best practices.
• Serve as the primary technical leader for strategic customer initiatives and presentations.
• Lead cross-functional teams from concept through commercialization.
• Oversee scale-up and commercialization activities to ensure successful implementation.
• Drive continuous improvement in speed-to-market, development processes, and manufacturing consistency.
• Provide technical leadership in food chemistry, ingredient functionality, processing, sensory science, and food safety.
• Evaluate new ingredients, suppliers, and technologies to improve quality and competitiveness.
• Maintain awareness of regulatory requirements and industry developments.

Skills

Product development

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Food science

Regulatory compliance

Team coaching

Education

Bachelor's in Food Science or Engineering

Master's degree preferred

Job description

Golden State Foods is seeking a Senior R&D Manager to lead product development strategy and execution, driving innovation and customer growth across the organization. The role partners with Commercial, Procurement, Operations, and Quality teams to advance opportunities and ensure successful commercialization.

The position requires leadership of a Product Development team, scale-up activities, and strong expertise in food chemistry, processing, and safety to maintain competitive advantage.