Vice President, Research and Development

Saputo Inc.; Wisconsin; On-site; USD 250,000 - 400,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Development opportunities

Competitive compensation

Community involvement

Job summary

Saputo Inc. in the United States is seeking a visionary Vice President, Research & Development to define the technical and innovation strategy for the Ingredients Division, translating customer needs and dairy science into scalable, differentiated solutions.

The Executive will own the dairy-ingredient portfolio across whey- and milk-based proteins, carbohydrates, cultures, and specialty solutions, leading optimization, governance, and first commercial production while balancing speed, risk,

Qualifications

• Fifteen or more years of progressive R&D, innovation, technical, or product-development experience in dairy ingredients or related fields.
• Experience leading managers and multidisciplinary technical teams.
• Proven ability to translate market insights into differentiated technical roadmaps and value propositions.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the R&D strategy and technology roadmap for the Ingredients Division.
• Own the innovation and renovation portfolio with stage-gate governance and resource allocation.
• Lead end-to-end development and commercialization of whey- and milk-based ingredients from discovery to first production.
• Serve as senior technical partner to strategic customers, guiding co-development and technical selling.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to ensure manufacturability, quality, compliance, and cost-effectiveness.
• Drive process technology advancement and capability across separation, concentration, drying, fermentation, and formulation.
• Establish standards, data integrity, and knowledge management across labs and plants.

Skills

Dairy Science

R&D Leadership

Strategy Development

Technical Roadmaps

Cross-functional Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s in Dairy Science or related field

Master’s or PhD 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 Vice President, Research & Development will set and execute the Ingredients Division’s technical and innovation strategy, translating customer needs, market insights, dairy science, and manufacturing capabilities into differentiated, scalable, and profitable solutions. This executive will own the dairy-ingredient innovation portfolio across whey- and milk-based proteins, carbohydrates, cultures, and specialty solutions; lead optimization of existing products and processes; and identify technologies that expand Saputo’s capabilities and competitive advantage. The role will build a world-class, customer-focused technical organization and establish disciplined governance from discovery and formulation through pilot validation, scale-up, regulatory clearance, customer qualification, and first commercial production, balancing speed, technical risk, quality, sustainability, and return on investment.

How You Will Make Contributions That Matter

• Define and execute the strategic R&D and technology roadmap aligned with division growth priorities, customer segments, manufacturing capabilities, and emerging dairy-ingredient opportunities.
• Own the innovation and renovation portfolio, including stage-gate governance, business cases, resource allocation, technical risk assessments, milestone discipline, and transparent decisions to accelerate high-value work and stop low-value projects.
• Lead end-to-end development and commercialization of whey- and milk-based proteins, carbohydrates, cultures, and specialty ingredient solutions from scientific discovery, formulation, and application testing through pilot trials, scale-up, customer qualification, and first commercial production.
• Serve as the senior technical partner to strategic customers, leading co-development, technical selling, demonstrations, qualification reviews, and resolution of complex formulation, functionality, processing, and quality challenges.
• Partner with Commercial, Sales, Operations, Engineering, Quality, Regulatory, Procurement, Finance, and Supply Chain to ensure solutions are consumer- and customer-relevant, manufacturable, repeatable, compliant, cost-effective, and supported by compelling value propositions.
• Advance process technology and technical capability, including separation, concentration, drying, fermentation, formulation, sensory, analytical, pilot-plant, and application-development platforms; partner with Engineering on capital feasibility, design, commissioning, and validation.
• Drive productivity and margin expansion through formulation, yield, throughput, quality, energy, water, waste, and raw-material optimization while protecting product performance, food safety, and customer requirements.
• Establish robust technical standards, specifications, experimental design, data integrity, documentation, knowledge management, and product/process validation practices across laboratories, pilot facilities, and plants.
• Champion digital R&D capabilities, including portfolio analytics, formulation and process modeling, competitive intelligence, searchable technical knowledge, and data-driven prediction of scale-up and product performance.
• Ensure technical compliance with applicable food safety, quality, labeling, regulatory, and customer standards in partnership with Quality and Regulatory; provide executive oversight for technical risk and customer-impacting issues.
• Lead intellectual-property strategy for the division by monitoring the competitive patent landscape, protecting trade secrets, guiding invention disclosures and patent filings, and managing freedom-to-operate considerations with Legal.
• Build an external innovation ecosystem with suppliers, universities, research institutes, start-ups, and industry groups to access emerging science, specialized capabilities, and partnership opportunities.
• Build, inspire, and retain a high-performing multidisciplinary organization; clarify roles and decision rights; strengthen technical career paths; and establish succession, capability, and workforce plans for critical expertise.
• Manage the R&D operating and capital budgets, quantify portfolio value and risk, and regularly communicate pipeline health, commercialization readiness, capability gaps, and business impact to the Ingredients Division leadership team.

You Are Best Suited for The Role If You Have The Following Experience, Skills And Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Dairy Science, Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline required; master’s degree or PhD strongly preferred.
• Fifteen or more years of progressive R&D, innovation, technical, or product-development experience in dairy, food ingredients, nutrition, or a closely related industry, including significant leadership of managers and multidisciplinary technical teams.
• Demonstrated success defining strategy and commercializing B2B dairy ingredients from bench through pilot, factory scale-up, customer qualification, and sustained production.
• Deep knowledge of dairy-component chemistry and functionality, including proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, cultures, and relevant separation, concentration, drying, fermentation, and formulation technologies.
• Strong record of converting customer and market insights into differentiated technical roadmaps, application solutions, and commercially compelling value propositions.
• Executive-level business and financial acumen, including portfolio prioritization, budget leadership, capital evaluation, cost-benefit analysis, pricing and margin awareness, and measurement of innovation return.
• Working knowledge of food safety, quality systems, regulatory and labeling requirements, technical documentation, intellectual property, and risk management relevant to dairy ingredients.
• Experience establishing stage-gate governance, technical standards, knowledge-management practices, digital tools, and data-driven portfolio and scale-up decision processes.
• Proven ability to attract, develop, and retain technical talent, build succession depth, lead through change, and create a culture of scientific rigor, ownership, inclusion, collaboration, and disciplined execution.
• Exceptional communication and influence skills, with the ability to translate complex science for customers, plant teams, commercial leaders, and executives and to build alignment across functions, geographies, and external partners.

We Support and Care for Our Employees by Providing Them With…

• Development opportunities that enhance your career fulfillment.
• Meaningful compensation & benefits that help you care for your family.
• Opportunities to contribute to your community and enhance the lives of others through Saputo products.

In the USA, Saputo ranks among the top three cheese producers and is one of the top producers of extended shelf-life and cultured dairy products, with a portfolio of well-loved brands such as Stella, Frigo Cheese, Montchevre, Stella, and Treasure Cave. We also boast a strong foodservice presence, partnering with reputable chain restaurants and broadline distributors.

Whether your expertise lies in manufacturing, operations, supply chain, sales, quality assurance, or in any other function, your role is integral to our success. You will make contributions that matter, all while working alongside colleagues who genuinely care about your success and who will roll up their sleeves to help.

Accessibility

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EEO

Saputo Cheese USA Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you’d like more information on your EEO rights under law, please visit www.EEOC.gov.

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