Job description

Job Description – Product Development Director

Purpose of Role:

This position provides operational leadership for existing product support, new product development, quality design and the synthesis of all aspects of product performance in delivering the consumer proposition.

Principal Accountabilities

• · Develops innovative product design solutions to support Sale’s/Marketing’s plans
• · Provides direction and framework for new product innovation process
• · Leads, manages, and drives PD projects to completion and on time.
• · Responsible for the integration of new capabilities from both internal manufacturing and/or co-packer technology platforms
• · Prioritizes and deploys resources (people and money) to optimize the delivery of the project portfolio.
• · Provides functional expertise in innovation management to generate differentiated and relevant new product designs
• · Leads the resolution of key technical business issues for the brand / segment.
• · Establishes Standards of Excellence for the team and Best in Class benchmarks to clarify product design objectives
• · Champions Design Quality for the segment.
• · Set the Product Quality Standards for all products within segment / brand, and collaborates with the Quality Assurance Director in any product dispositions.
• · Develops and directs departmental staffing and training strategies to ensure technical competence, creativity, teamwork and broad business knowledge leading to continued managerial and technical leadership for Product Development (PD).

Mission Critical Competencies

· Project Management

· Business acumen, cross-functional understanding and relationships

· Quality Champion

· Innovation Management

· Networking

· Dealing with Ambiguity

· Science & Technology

· Consumer Driven Design

· Continuous Improvement mindset

Key Functional Skills/Knowledge

· Demonstrated ability to deliver excellence in the execution of business activities

· Demonstrated ability to shape, lead and manage multiple areas of development and projects

· An understanding of the principles of a learning organization and management of intellectual property

· Intellectually curious to find and develop opportunities

· Highly creative technical development and/or problem-solving skills

· Demonstrated excellence in project and people management

· Demonstrated excellence at building relationships and leading and motivating others across a range of disciplines

· Comfortable leading and working with change

· Strong working knowledge of food science, health and nutrition, food manufacturing processes, quality assurance principles, ingredient supply market and market research practices

· Demonstrated leadership in Innovation Management, including deep consumer empathy for fostering consumer centered new product development.

· Extensive knowledge of consumer centered new product development

· Capability to lead small or large cross-functional projects.

Key Experiences

· 6 or more years of increasing leadership responsibility in product / process innovation.

· An established demonstrable network with PD leaders / organizations in academia, government and/or trade / industry associations.

· A history on successful new product introductions

Desired Education

· Food Science, engineering, chemistry or equivalent BS degree required, with a strong preference for a higher degree.

Decision Making Authority and Impact

· Budgeting and allocation of resources (money and people) for the PD group and PD processes.

· Product design, formula, process and packaging requirements and approval for all brand products.

· Resolution of quality issues in concert with Quality Assurance.

· Innovation pipeline options for segment growth

· Gelato manufacturing technology platforms

· Capital requirements related to product design and commercialization

· Department staffing and promotion

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $90,000.00 - $120,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• Overtime
• Weekend availability

Supplemental pay types:

• Bonus pay

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Phoenix, AZ 85027: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: One location

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