Director - Product Development

_

Dawn Foods is a global leader in bakery manufacturing and ingredients distribution. As the partner of choice for inspiring bakery success, we help customers grow their business through meaningful partnerships, research-driven insights and innovations, and products and expertise they can depend on. As a family-owned company, our commitments to our people, products, customers, and corporate values, are all part of our recipe for success.

_

Why work for Dawn Foods?

PEOPLE. PRODUCTS. CUSTOMERS.

Why should you apply? We invest in you!

• Industry-leading health insurance on Day 1!
• 3 weeks PTO
• 401(K) + company match
• Competitive Pay
• An opportunity for career advancement, working as part of an empowering workforce.
• Professional training
• 10 Paid Company Holidays
• Family-owned business over 100 years in service

About the Job

This position is responsible for oversight of the Product Development Dry Mix organization for all North America. This role will oversee all activities required to support Dawn’s core dry mix business including product development and managing a core group of employees. The types of projects will include, but not be limited to, custom product development, manufacturing and quality support, raw material evaluation, cost reduction, and coordinating cross functional projects with Procurement, Marketing, and Regulatory. The expectations of this role are to oversee not only the day-to-day management of the product development organization, but also resource allocation, prioritization, conflict resolution, and ensuring that projects get completed on time. In addition, they will be responsible for working with the PMO to look for continuous improvement opportunities on how we execute projects. They will oversee full product development execution, which includes formulation, bench trials, plant trials, specifications (raw materials, work in process, and finished goods). They will be expected to coordinate with marketing on the strategic goals for Total Cake and Total Donut.

The successful candidate will live local to one of the following plants:

Jackson, MI, Louisville, KY, or Burlington, ON.

Relocation Assistance Provided

Must be able to travel up to 25%

What Does It Take to be a Director for Product Development at Dawn Foods?

• Proven experience with a minimum of 10 years with a technical background in product development roles within the food or CPG environment.
• Experience leading large teams with responsibility for developing and managing direct reports required.
• Ability to understand strategic business plans for Dawn’s core business and apply it to technical resources.
• Demonstratable ability in sound scientific processes
• Experience in ingredient technology and/or processing required.
• Passion for baking and staying updated on latest baking trends and innovations for customers.
• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Chemical Engineering, Biological Science or related field required.
• Demonstrated communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills that communicate complex concepts clearly across different audiences and levels of the organization.
• Must be able to travel up to 25%
• Demonstrate an owner's mindset when it comes to products and formulations.
• Persuasiveness and able to influence and motivate others to drive change.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Food Science, Chemical Engineering, Biological Science, or related field.
• Experience in the baking industry preferred.

What You'll Do as a Director for Product Development

• Direct day to day leadership of the North American Dry Mix Product Development team

• Support quality investigations and assign resources as needed.
• Assign resources to projects.
• Conduct research and analysis on new project briefs and be the R&D vote to accept or deny projects.
• Prioritize all project activities within the team.
• Coordinate with the Senior Director of Product Development on Programs that involve both Dry and Wet resources.

• Create and maintain project lists, timelines, across all dry project activity.

• Evaluation of the current Dry Product Development organization with the goal of Identifying areas to become more efficient and drive increasing value.

• Create a continuous improvement mindset around our processes and systems.
• Review and advise on correct head count and org structure.

• Participate in budgeting discussions, make recommendations, and take ownership.
• People leadership and development and including but not limited to conducting performance reviews, facilitating Individual Development Plans, Merits and Promotions as well as Succession Planning.
• Ownership, support, and accountability for appropriate BPE work streams.

• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the product development team.

• Influence and direct support for Dawn Manufacturing and Quality partners
• Influence and direct support for Key Account / National Account relationships

• Influence on Product Development Strategy
• Influence on the development of the Dawn PMO process in conjunction with other R&D leaders
• Accountability for Dry Lab workspace, equipment, and office space
• Demonstrates the “Dawn Values” of Team Dawn and supports the Circle of Excellence.

Work Environment:

Work is performed in an office setting with no unusual hazards. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a Team Member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to focus.

Note: The level of physical effort may vary from site to site and in some cases be greater or less than documented here.

About Our Benefits

Dawn is proud to employ the top talent in the baking industry, and we reward our people with comprehensive health and well-being coverage, competitive compensation packages, and award-winning benefit offerings. We also help protect your future financial health with a generous 401(k) matching program that provides additional retirement funds and many tools and resources on financial wellness. Dawn encourages professional growth through tuition assistance and educational programs, and we are always searching for ways to improve our industry-leading services and benefits.

If this sounds like the opportunity that you have been looking for, please click "Apply.”

About Dawn Foods

Dawn Foods provides high-quality bakery solutions to customers around the globe. With unmatched manufacturing and distribution capabilities, we bring together the knowledge, commitment, and innovation our customers deserve.

Compensation Range: $115,840- $196,930 with bonus incentive

_

An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/gender expression, citizenship status, military or veteran status, genetic information or any other status or condition that is protected by applicable law.

Requisition ID: 34725