Vice President, Research and Development

Ladders; United States; Remote; USD 180,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career growth opportunities

Competitive compensation

Community engagement initiatives

Job summary

Ladders is seeking a Vice President, Research and Development to lead the innovation agenda for our dairy ingredient solutions. This executive will shape technology direction and oversee end-to-end product development from concept through commercial launch.

You will collaborate with commercial, operations, quality, and customer teams to translate market opportunities into scalable, compliant solutions, while managing budgets and driving ROI for the business.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive R&D and product development experience in dairy or food ingredients with significant leadership experience.
• Proven track record in commercializing B2B dairy ingredients from concept to production.
• In-depth knowledge of dairy-component chemistry and relevant processing technologies.
• Strong business acumen including budget management and innovation ROI measurement.
• Experience with food safety, quality systems, and regulatory compliance in dairy ingredients.
• Exceptional communication skills to convey complex scientific concepts to diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the R&D and technology roadmap aligned with growth priorities and market opportunities.
• Own the innovation portfolio, including governance and resource allocation to prioritize high-value projects.
• Lead the end-to-end development of dairy ingredient solutions from discovery to commercial production.
• Serve as a senior technical partner to customers, addressing complex formulation and quality challenges.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure manufacturability and compliance of solutions.
• Advance technical capabilities and process technologies in dairy ingredient production.
• Establish robust technical standards and practices across R&D and production facilities.

Skills

Leadership experience

Commercialization

Regulatory compliance

Communication skills

Budget management

Quality systems

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's in Dairy Science

Master's or PhD preferred

Job description

For our client, we are seeking a Vice President, Research and Development to join the team of a leader in the Food & Beverages space.

This executive will shape the innovation agenda and technology direction for a business focused on dairy and food ingredient solutions. The role combines strategic portfolio leadership with deep technical oversight, guiding new product development from concept through commercial launch. You will work closely with commercial, operations, quality, and customer teams to turn market opportunities into scalable, compliant solutions.

Location: Remote - US based candidates only, no visa sponsorship available

Compensation: $180,000 – $220,000 annually

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the R&D and technology roadmap aligned with growth priorities and market opportunities.
• Own the innovation portfolio, including governance and resource allocation to prioritize high-value projects.
• Lead the end-to-end development of dairy ingredient solutions from discovery to commercial production.
• Serve as a senior technical partner to customers, addressing complex formulation and quality challenges.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure manufacturability and compliance of solutions.
• Advance technical capabilities and process technologies in dairy ingredient production.
• Establish robust technical standards and practices across R&D and production facilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Dairy Science, Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field; master's or PhD preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive R&D and product development experience in dairy or food ingredients, with significant leadership experience.
• Proven track record in commercializing B2B dairy ingredients from concept to production.
• In-depth knowledge of dairy-component chemistry and relevant processing technologies.
• Strong business acumen, including budget management and innovation ROI measurement.
• Experience with food safety, quality systems, and regulatory compliance in dairy ingredients.
• Exceptional communication skills to convey complex scientific concepts to diverse audiences.

Benefits

• Development opportunities for career growth.
• Comprehensive compensation and benefits for employee well-being.
• Community engagement opportunities through employee and customer-facing product initiatives.

Our client is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every qualification—your background could be exactly what this team needs.