Director, Product Development & Innovation

Dole Packaged Foods is a purpose led nutrition and wellness organization that “champions a more equitable world.” A world where everyone has the right to nutrition from the goodness of the earth and we reduce these gaps, one action at a time.

The Director of Product Development & Innovation (PDI) will drive top-line and bottom-line business performance through technical innovation and renovation/cost savings activities aimed at delivering delicious, high quality, and affordable products to consumers that will help achieve our mission of providing access to nutrition to more than one billion people.

All our innovations are based on two principles:

• We promise to use zero processed sugars, have zero fruit loss, and zero plastics.
• Increasing access to nutrition and reducing waste of nutrition.

The innovation funnel will include a combination of projects designed to sustain growth of our “core” products (ingredients, beverages, frozen, snacking) but may also include expanding into new categories identified as “white space” (supplements) opportunities by the business.

This role provides flexibility to work in a hybrid environment of home and our Westlake Village, CA office. The role requires collaboration with multiple functions, so a presence on-site is required a minimum of three days per week.

Responsibilities

• Provides guidance for authoring technical briefs, including clear product & packaging requirements, COGs targets, and timing expectations, to design feasible and viable products.
• Work/time allocation assessment.
• Ensures consumer-usability of packaging has been fully tested according to the appropriate criteria outlined in the Check In document.
• Manages consumer product research process with Marketing and Consumer Insights Teams to lock formulas and claims and/or suggest changes for cost & efficiency purposes.
• PDI process tools usage and optimization for efficiency and speed.
• Sets strategic direction and priorities for developing and finalizing the product strategy & design process, collaborating with Marketing (and other functional partners).
• Provides guidance and feedback with career development plans for direct reports.
• Manages PDI Team output by way of overseeing workplans, resources, and timelines.
• Optimizes the PDI and QA network to ensure optimal specifications are developed for each product and first-time quality is achieved, guaranteeing zero quality issues related to formula and process at start-up.
• Facilitates necessary support at start-ups at factory sites/3PMs to validate product/packaging specifications are met.
• Stage Gate process compliance.
• Determines working protocol with 3PMs and/or PDI-Commercial (PDIC) Team to benchtop and test products and processes per the technical brief.
• Other duties as assigned
• Leads technical efforts for product strategy & design that meet innovation thresholds.
• Project status reporting.
• Promotes continuous learning of nutrition principles through communication, e-Learning, and physical training to cultivate subject matter experts capable of designing and executing tasty, nutrient-dense products that bring excitement and uniqueness to customers & consumers.
• Approves shelf life for each product and obtains sign off by relevant functional heads at Launch Gate.
• Identifies knowledge gaps and helps PDI Team create training plans.
• Budget spend management.
• Establishes the claims process and writes the strategy that informs product design, employing a continuous improvement process for enhancements.

Experience, Knowledge, & Skills You Bring:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to manage stakeholders effectively.
• Product development (strategy/design, formulating, ingredient selection, stability testing, claims/messaging, etc.)
• Deep understanding of the following areas:
• Knowledge of innovation management tools.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience
• Structural Packaging development (design, testing, consumer-usability/acceptability, etc.)
• Proven track record in development and execution of innovations into the marketplace, including the creation of products based on Marketing strategies and ability to support the sell-in process to customers.
• Strong organizational skills to prioritize/manage multiple projects and meet deadlines when faced with complexity/roadblocks.
• Process development (manufacturing capabilities/technologies, process controls, equipment selection, contract manufacturing, etc.)
• Capable of managing and coaching direct reports, including hiring of new employees.
• Able to work within a global footprint and cross-functionally among factories and co-packers, marketing managers, sales teams, supply chain and customer services teams to deliver the innovation funnel.
• Able to analyze and leverage consumer insight data to drive development of innovations for new consumers, customers, or channels.
• Proficient knowledge of COGs development and P&L impact.

What You Will Need to Succeed:

• Ability to build and maintain strong working relationships.
• Analytical Thinking: Able to synthesize large volumes of data to solve problems efficiently.
• Adaptable to changing environments and overcome challenges; feel comfortable working with a certain degree of ambiguity and in a fluid and agile environment.
• Able to work effectively in a networked, fluid, and agile environment, with multiple stakeholders.
• Strong innovation and entrepreneurial mindset, demonstrated through being a self-starter.
• Organization: Able to balance your time, energy, resilience, and mental capacity to deliver the innovation goals effectively and efficiently.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Technically curious and driven by finding creative solutions to deliver innovations and problem solving.
• Robust time management skills, ability to prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Ability to identify realistic solutions, solve issues efficiently and in a timely manner.
• Passionate about a purpose driven career in nutrition and wellness.

Education & Certification:

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Engineering, or science-based equivalent is required.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to sit and use the computer for extended periods of time; ability to answer phones and use a variety of office equipment; ability to lift 15 pounds and reach overhead.

Travel Requirements:

• Occasional travel may be required.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or on the basis of disability.

FOR JOBS BASED IN CALIFORNIA:

Hiring Pay Scale: $175,000 to $195,000

Dole Packaged Foods is committed to paying our Associates fairly and equitably. The pay rate offered will consider a wide range of factors, including but not limited to experience, education, accomplishments, and location. Pay scales are subject to review on a regular basis and will be updated as appropriate.