Manager, Research And Development

Job Title

Job Title: Manager, Research And Development (R&D) (Hard cheese)

Welcome to Lactalis Canada! We’re proud to be Canada’s #1 branded dairy company and to be consistently recognized as one of the country’s top employers by Forbes. Our purpose is to enrich and nurture the lives of Canadians by offering the best of dairy from Canada’s favourite dairy brands like Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, Balderson, Astro and Lactantia. In fact, our products can be found in over 90% of Canadian refrigerators in any given time.

As part of Lactalis Group, the world’s leading dairy company, we remain focused on innovation and quality and are seeking like-minded individuals to join us as we continue our growth journey.

The incumbent provides technical leadership and specialized knowledge, expertise, and management of research activities to support the Hard cheese volume, profit targets and growth plans. The position is responsible for the introduction of innovation related to new products, ingredients, technologies, and cost savings initiatives by coordinating team members to deliver project goals. The position ensures qualification and validation to meet the R&D Hard Cheese business objective.

• Manage hard cheese product development plans and resources to execute activities of product development initiatives, innovation pipeline projects, formulation optimization opportunities and process technologies to achieve business and strategic priorities.
• Effectively lead multiple research projects for the R&D Hard Cheese. Provide technical direction/interpretation of results to research team to design and execute experiments to meet project commitments.
• Lead, identify and communicate product development requirements and activities to Leadership Marketing, Sales and R&D. Communication with key stakeholders purchasing and operations to ensure execution of project plan.
• Support R&D-Hard cheese in the execution of Purchasing and Operations cost reduction programs related to product categories.
• Responsible for costs related to plant trials in support to execute the R&D SR&ED program in support of corporate tax initiatives. Collaborate with R&D Directors/managers on plant trial budget SR&ED deliverables.
• Support investigations and collaborate with other Lactalis departments and resources of R&D, Manufacturing, QFS, and Engineering, purchasing to assess and identify product/production issues and/or opportunities and lead FS development activities in support of the necessary action plan.
• Provide Technical support to Marketing in the development and of the supporting sales documents.
• In collaboration with Senior Director, R&D-Cheese and ingredients lead and manage reports including hiring, establishing goals and priorities, providing work direction and reviewing performance including development needs. Collaborate with team members do develop their Individual development plans (IDP) and provide coaching, training focusing on career growth and enhancing engagement for R&D division and Lactalis as a group. Provide vision ensuring that each team member is clear on the individual project objectives as well as division and company objectives
• Promote and enforce activities to maintain a safe and healthy working environment to meet site and corporate safety objectives

• University degree in Food Science, microbiology, chemistry or related discipline
• Master’s or PhD in related discipline an asset
• Minimum ten (10) years experience in dairy or food industry
• Supervisory experience is an asset.
• Leadership capabilities including being able to work well in a team environment. Ability to lead initiatives and project teams. Ability to work cross functionally and develop rapport with all levels of the organization.
• Strong analytical skills and good judgment; high degree of integrity. Application of theories and practice of chemistry/food science/microbiology to improve processes and develop new innovative products. Ability to apply strategic thinking or abstract reasoning when approaching complex problem solving
• Strong verbal and written communication skills including…