Director of R&D, Technical Services & Innovation

The Morning Star Company
Director of Technical Services & Innovation
Los Banos, CA

The Morning Star Company is the world’s largest independent producer of bulk tomato ingredient products and one of the most technologically advanced tomato processing companies in the global food industry. Through its affiliated companies, Morning Star processes approximately 40% of California’s processing tomato crop
, operating three state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in California together with extensive farming, transplanting, harvesting, logistics, and transportation operations.

Morning Star manufactures tomato paste, diced tomatoes, canned tomato products, sauces, and specialty food ingredients supplied to many of the world’s leading consumer packaged goods companies, food service organizations, industrial food manufacturers, and retailers. Our reputation has been built upon uncompromising quality, innovation, integrity, food safety, operational excellence, and long-term customer partnerships.

The company employs approximately 500 year-round colleagues and more than 3,000 seasonal colleagues
.

Unlike traditional organizations, Morning Star operates through Mission Focused Self-Management™, an innovative management philosophy that eliminates formal hierarchy and empowers every colleague to assume personal responsibility, build influence through expertise, and create value through initiative and collaboration. We seek professionals who thrive in an entrepreneurial environment where leadership is earned through integrity, competence, creativity, and results rather than organizational title.

Morning Star is seeking an accomplished food scientist and technical leader to serve as Director of Technical Services & Innovation
.

This executive leadership role is responsible for providing world-class technical leadership across research and development, product innovation, process development, commercialization, customer technical support, packaging innovation, food safety, and manufacturing optimization.

The successful candidate will partner closely with customers, agricultural operations, manufacturing teams, suppliers, and commercial colleagues to identify opportunities, solve complex technical challenges, commercialize new products, improve manufacturing processes, and create long-term competitive advantages for Morning Star and its customers.

This position requires exceptional scientific knowledge, business acumen, creativity, customer engagement skills, and the ability to influence others within Morning Star’s Mission Focused Self-Management™ culture.