Sr Director, R&D Operations & Innovation

Grow with Welch's! Welch's is on a journey towards our bold ambition of being the global leader of convenient, good-for-you fruit-based food and beverages. To turn this goal into a reality we need you and other exceptionally talented, agile, and innovative individuals who are eager to contribute to something extraordinary!

At Welch's, we’re not just offering a job; we’re inviting you to be a part of a vibrant, authentic, and inclusive culture where you not only belong, but also have the opportunity to unleash the best, most authentic version of you.

The Sr Director, R&D Operations & Innovation provides enterprise leadership across Product Development, Packaging, Process, and External Innovation to translate Welch’s growth strategy into scalable, technically sound, and commercially viable innovation platforms. This role ensures R&D is a proactive driver of growth, capability building, and competitive advantage. The Sr Director partners closely with Marketing, Operations, Supply Chain, and the Executive Leadership Team to balance near‑term business needs with longer‑term technical, portfolio, and capability investments.

This person will lead and develop a technical expert team working seamlessly across the organization.

• Enterprise ownership of R&D innovation strategy and operating model
• Accountability for product, packaging, and process development outcomes
• Leadership of external innovation strategy, partnerships, and technology scouting
• Development of a high‑performing, multi‑disciplinary R&D team
• Thought leader and partner to strategic growth planning and long‑range innovation roadmaps

• Enterprise R&D Strategy & Portfolio Leadership
• Define and lead the end‑to‑end R&D innovation portfolio across product, packaging, and process engineering
• Translate enterprise growth strategy into platform roadmaps, technical priorities, and capability investments
• Balance speed, cost, quality, and risk across a diverse innovation pipeline
• Establish clear portfolio governance and decision‑making frameworks
• Support continuous improvement and cost management strategies
• Integrated Product, Packaging & Process Engineering Innovation Leadership
• Set unified technical and scientific direction across product formulation, packaging systems, and process design
• Lead development of scalable innovation platforms that integrate product, packaging, and process from the outset
• Ensure consumer‑led innovation rigor while embedding manufacturability, cost, quality, and sustainability early
• Partner with marketing and Consumer Insights to shape opportunity spaces with an end‑to‑end system mindset.
• Drive technical trade‑off decisions across product, pack, and process to accelerate speed‑to‑market and reduce downstream risk
• External Innovation (XI) & Technology Partnerships
• Lead Welch’s external innovation strategy, including scouting, partnerships, licensing, and co‑development
• Evaluate emerging ingredients, technologies, and manufacturing solutions for strategic fit and value creation
• Serve as the technical lead counterpart in external innovation and partnership decisions
• Build a strong external ecosystem across suppliers, startups, academia, and technology partners
• R&D Operating Model & Ways of Working
• Design and continuously improve R&D processes, governance, and ways of working
• Increase speed‑to‑market while maintaining technical, regulatory compliance, and quality rigor
• Ensure strong cross‑functional integration across R&D, Marketing, Operations, and Supply Chain
• Establish clear accountability, metrics, and performance management across the R&D organization
• People & Leadership
• Lead, mentor, and develop a multi‑disciplinary R&D leadership team spanning product, packaging, and process
• Build bench strength, succession plans, and future technical leaders
• Foster a culture of curiosity, accountability, collaboration, and enterprise thinking
• Champion talent development, capability building, and inclusive leadership practices

• Executive Leadership Team
• Marketing & Consumer Insights
• Operations, Engineering & Supply Chain
• Food Safety and Quality, Regulatory & Sustainability
• External partners, suppliers, and…