Manager, International R&D/QA, Cheese Category

About the role

Lead and manage the development of ingredients, focusing on the cheese category, to enable company's strategy and growth plans for international markets. This includes supplier development around the globe as well as managing quality assurance policies and initiatives. Development responsibilities include formulations, scale up production runs, testing and launching of ingredients.

Responsibilities

• Collaborates with R&D, QA, Supply Chain and Suppliers to develop cheese and pizza ingredients to achieve defined end product attributes.
• Manages product development projects, collaborating with cross-functional partners such as Supply Chain, Marketing, Operations, and Training to meet timelines.
• Sets and maintains product development goals and objectives.
• Seeks methods to educate and improve knowledge of new technologies, manufacturing processes, supplier capabilities, and ingredient technologies.
• Proactively reviews food law and regulations to identify business impact and opportunities to adapt ingredients.
• Creates, implements and communicates updated policies, procedures and programs that ensure product safety and quality.
• Creates, updates and communicates product specifications and issues changes.
• Executes quality assurance programs and policies for product, suppliers and distributors.
• Identifies and resolves supplier food safety and quality issues.
• Provides technical support and acts as a liaison with the quality control function at suppliers to develop and ensure controls are developed, executed and maintained.
• Investigates and resolves customer complaints.
• Affords assistance to suppliers with LC ingredient manufacturing and problem resolution.
• Responsible for corporate product recalls and retrievals and maintaining appropriate documentation.
• Administers mock recalls to distribution centers.
• Coordinates sanitation audits, lab testing and samples from distribution centers.
• Affords assistance in policy creation for vendors, vendor evaluations and audits.
• Maintains approved manufacturer list for regional vendors.
• Performs other duties as requested by Supervisor.
• May be responsible for management of others, including hiring and performance management.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Biology, Chemistry or related discipline.
• Seven (7) to Ten Years (10) in Quality Assurance and R&D in the food industry.
• Minimum two (2) years of experience in food manufacturing required.

Qualifications

• Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills and ability to work cross-functionally with individuals and teams, internally and externally.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with internal and external colleagues, vendors and suppliers.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and manage multiple, complex projects and initiatives simultaneously with a results-oriented approach.
• Strong verbal, written and presentation communication skills with ability to communicate technical information to a wide variety of audiences and with all levels of the organization.
• Evidence of the ability to establish, document, update and track quality metrics, preferable through standardized and accepted process control procedures.
• Experience in a previous position requiring accuracy, attention to detail and documentation of issues, resolutions and policy changes.
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills.

Skills

• Knowledge/experience in dairy/cheese products and manufacturing processes of the dairy and cheese products is preferred.
• Knowledge/experience in pizza/QSR/food service, pizza ingredients, and restaurant equipment is preferred.

Benefits

Little Caesars offers a competitive compensation package, including health insurance, retirement benefits, paid time off, and more.

Pay

$80,000 - $100,000 annually

Schedule

Full-time position with flexible hours.