Director, Research & Development

About the role

Lead the Research & Development Team including Innovation & Product Development, Base Product & Process Development, Packaging Development, and Nutrition & Regulatory Affairs workstreams. Partner with plants on R&D initiatives. Act as the liaison between non-technical and technical areas to develop and execute new and base products and process strategies to grow the overall business and enable cost savings.

Responsible for communicating new and base business activities and strategies with non-technical areas such as Marketing & Innovation, Trade Marketing, Market Research, Finance, and Sales. Also provide technical communication to technical areas such as QA, Operations, Packaging, and specific factory or co-manufacturing locations.

Responsibilities

• Develop New Products & Innovation: Develop new products or next-generation innovation, including new product formulas and packaging (internally or externally through consultants/suppliers), delivering within agreed timeline, quality, and cost parameters. Work with internal or co-manufacturing locations on start-up and commercialization.
• Optimize Base Business Products & Process: Reformulate or restage base products or refine processes within agreed timeline, quality, and cost parameters. Work directly with manufacturing locations for process improvements.
• Maintain and Optimize R&D Support Systems & Technical Services: Provide technical services and R&D systems to optimize product development workflows, process systems, formula systems, ingredient specifications, nutritional labeling, and ingredient statements to meet departmental expectations and deliver projects on time.
• Provide Packaging Engineering and Nutrition & Regulatory Services: Deliver packaging and nutrition & regulatory services to support base business and innovation initiatives.
• Co-Pack Management & Support: Oversee internal co-packing partnerships and third-party manufacturing relationships, ensuring product formulations, quality standards, and process specifications are consistently executed at co-packer facilities.
• Support plants with Quality, Operations, and Supply Chain teams, ensuring R&D specifications are accurately translated and maintained across all plants, including contract manufacturing sites.
• Lead technical oversight of plant and co-packing relationships, including formulation transfer, scale-up trials, and troubleshooting to ensure new product development translates successfully from pilot to commercial production.

Requirements

• 20+ years of overall professional experience in various product and process development technologies and management, with a strong understanding of processing equipment and low-acid thermal and retort processing.
• Strong understanding of federal regulations and nutritional labeling.
• Experience with new packaging development.
• 5-10 years of management experience leading an R&D/technical team in a position of similar complexity, scope, size, and international impact.
• Experience in CPG/Food required.
• BS or MS and a wide range of product and process development experience.
• Must be able to travel by plane—approximate travel 30% (includes international; passport required).
• Must be capable of extended travel periods (5-15 days).

Pay

The approximate pay range for this position is $190,000 to $250,000. Final compensation may vary based on factors including but not limited to knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location.

About Company

StarKist Co. provides trusted, healthy food products in the United States. An industry innovator, StarKist was the first brand to introduce single-serve pouch products, including Tuna Creations®, Salmon Creations®, and Chicken Creations™. As America's favorite tuna, StarKist represents a tradition of quality, consumer trust, and a commitment to sustainability. StarKist's brand icon, Charlie® the Tuna, has been a fan favorite since 1961. StarKist Co. is a subsidiary of the Dongwon Group.