R&D & Commercialization Manager

Manager – R&D & Commercialization

The Manager – R&D & Commercialization leads product development, scale-up, and commercialization activities across a diverse portfolio that includes dairy, non-dairy, beverage, aerosol, frozen novelty, and adjacent food categories. This role manages projects from concept through full-scale manufacturing, partnering closely with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Procurement, Sales, and customers to launch innovative products that meet quality, timing, and financial objectives.

The position provides technical leadership, mentors junior R&D staff, and plays a key role in driving innovation and continuous improvement in food and beverage manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Lead new product development and commercialization projects from concept through launch across dairy, non-dairy, beverage, aerosol, frozen novelty, and related food categories.
• Develop robust product formulations, process parameters, product specifications, and comprehensive commercialization plans that support successful scale-up and launch.
• Plan, coordinate, and manage pilot plant trials, plant validations, first production runs, and startup activities to ensure smooth commercialization.
• Collaborate closely with Operations and Engineering to ensure products are manufacturable, scalable, and optimized for existing and new production capabilities.
• Lead troubleshooting efforts related to formulation challenges, processing issues, shelf-life performance, and overall product functionality.
• Support customer innovation initiatives, including participation in customer meetings and delivery of technical presentations that clearly communicate product capabilities and benefits.
• Conduct thorough root cause investigations related to consumer complaints, product quality concerns, and commercialization challenges, and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Partner with Quality and Regulatory teams to ensure all products and processes comply with FDA regulations, SQF standards, labeling requirements, and food safety guidelines.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting aggressive commercialization timelines and aligning with business priorities.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior R&D staff, fostering their development in formulation, scale-up, and commercialization best practices.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Procurement, and Sales to align technical solutions with business and customer needs.
• Drive process optimization and continuous improvement initiatives within product development and commercialization activities to enhance efficiency, quality, and consistency.
• Offer customer-facing technical support to address product performance questions, commercialization issues, and ongoing improvement opportunities.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Chemical Engineering, Food Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 5–8 years of progressive experience in food and beverage product development and commercialization, preferably including dairy, yogurt, or coffee products.
• Minimum of 3+ years of experience commercializing products from concept through full-scale manufacturing, including leading plant trials, process validations, startup activities, and scale-up projects.
• Proven experience working directly with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Procurement teams on product development and commercialization initiatives.
• Strong understanding of food manufacturing processes and commercialization requirements in a food and beverage environment.
• Demonstrated expertise in product development, including formulation and optimization for manufacturability and quality.
• Hands-on experience with commercialization and scale-up, including pilot plant work and transition to full-scale production.
• Solid project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and meet aggressive timelines.
• Cross-functional leadership capabilities, with experience guiding and influencing teams without direct authority.
• Strong skills in root cause analysis and consumer complaint investigation related to…