Technical Applications Manager

Saputo; White Bear Lake (MN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Saputo is seeking a Manager, R&D (Technical Sales) to serve as the technical lead and strategic partner across Sales, R&D, Operations, Marketing, and customers. You will translate product capabilities into customer solutions, support business development initiatives, and lead evaluations of product performance and opportunities.

The role requires strong communication, project leadership, and the ability to balance technical and commercial objectives, with travel ~30–40% to support visits,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical field (Food/Dairy/Chemistry/Engineering).
• 7+ years in technical sales, technical service, product development, or related customer-facing role in food/dairy/CPG.
• Strong knowledge of dairy products, ingredients, manufacturing, and application requirements.
• Ability to translate complex technical information into business solutions for diverse audiences.
• Proven experience leading customer projects from concept to commercialization.
• Strong business acumen balancing technical and commercial objectives.
• Willingness to travel 30–40% for customer visits and events.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical liaison between Customers, Sales, R&D, Operations, and Technical Services to drive satisfaction and growth.
• Lead customer-facing technical initiatives and translate insights into actionable business solutions.
• Support product development, commercialization, and process improvements, evaluating manufacturing impact on quality and performance.
• Develop and maintain customer application, performance, and market intelligence data for business development and innovation.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to resolve quality issues and opportunities for value creation.
• Provide technical expertise during customer visits, product evaluations, and new business development activities.
• Partner with Sales to respond to customer needs with samples, recommendations, and technical support.
• Evaluate market trends and customer requirements to identify portfolio growth and competitive advantage.
• Analyze product performance and customer feedback to drive continuous improvement and innovation.
• Present findings and recommendations to senior leadership and stakeholders.
• Support Sales with technical training and guidance on opportunities and applications.
• Foster cross-functional collaboration and champion Saputo's culture and excellence.

Skills

Technical sales

Customer-facing

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science/Dairy Science/Chemistry/Engineering

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

At Saputo, we bring good to the table by making high-quality products, investing in our people, and supporting communities around the world . As a top 10 global dairy processor, we value contributions that matter and strive to foster an inclusive, growth-driven work environment. Ready to bring your best?

The Manager, R&D (Technical Sales) serves as the technical lead and strategic partner between Sales, R&D, Operations, Marketing, and customers to drive growth, innovation, and customer satisfaction across the portfolio. This role translates technical product capabilities into customer-focused solutions, supports key business development initiatives, and provides leadership in evaluating product performance, customer opportunities, and competitive positioning. The Manager, Technical Sales acts as a trusted advisor to both internal stakeholders and external customers, ensuring technical excellence while advancing commercial objectives.

How You Will Make Contributions That Matter

• Serve as the primary technical liaison between Customers, Sales, R&D, Operations, and Technical Services to drive customer satisfaction, business growth, and value creation.
• Lead customer-facing technical initiatives by partnering with customers to understand product requirements, application needs, emerging opportunities, and quality concerns, translating these insights into actionable business solutions.
• Partner with Operations and R&D to support product development, commercialization efforts, process improvements, and product performance evaluations, including assessing the impact of manufacturing and process changes on product quality and application performance
• Develop and maintain key customer application, performance, and market intelligence data to support business development, innovation initiatives, and informed decision-making.
• Evaluate customer quality issues, technical challenges, and product opportunities, coordinating cross‑functional teams to ensure timely resolution and a superior customer experience.
• Support strategic customer accounts by providing technical expertise during customer visits, product evaluations, application reviews, and new business development activities.
• Partner closely with Sales to provide rapid and effective responses to customer needs, including sample requests, product recommendations, technical support, and commercialization activities
• Evaluate competitive products, market trends, and customer requirements to identify opportunities for portfolio growth, product differentiation, and competitive advantage.
• Analyze product performance, customer feedback, and application data to generate insights and recommendations that support continuous improvement, innovation, and customer value creation.
• Present technical findings, product performance evaluations, customer opportunities, and strategic recommendations to senior leadership and key stakeholders.
• Support the Sales organization through technical training, product expertise, and guidance on customer opportunities, applications, and sensitive quality matters.
• Foster strong cross-functional collaboration and act as a positive ambassador for Saputo's culture, values, and commitment to operational excellence and customer success.

You are best suited for the role if you have the following experience, skills, and qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Chemistry, Engineering, or a related technical discipline required; advanced degree preferred.
• 7 + years of experience in technical sales, technical service, product development, R&D, applications, or a related customer-facing technical role within food, dairy, ingredients, or CPG industries.
• Strong knowledge of dairy products, dairy ingredients, food manufacturing, and customer application requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex technical information into business solutions for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Proven experience leading customer projects from concept through commercialization.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to balance technical considerations with commercial objectives.
• Experience collaborating effectively across Sales, R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing, and Quality functions.
• Excellent communication, presentation, influencing, and relationship-building skills.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving capabilities, with the ability to interpret technical data and generate actionable recommendations.
• Highly organized with demonstrated project management and prioritization skills in a fast‑paced environment.
• Ability to lead multiple customer initiatives simultaneously while maintaining a high level of responsiveness and execution.
• Willingness to travel approximately 30-40% to support customer visits, trials, business development activities, and industry events.

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