Sr Manager Product Development-Pet

Post Holdings - Lakeville, MN

Full-time - Mid Level

Lakeville, MN

251-500 employees

Repair and Maintenance

About the position

As a Senior Manager of Product Development at Post Consumer Brands, you will lead a dynamic product development and formulation team dedicated to innovating and renovating pet food and treats. This role is pivotal in prioritizing and managing team activities to align with the company's cost, quality, and innovation objectives. You will act as a key research and development (R&D) business partner for Integrated Business Teams (IBTs), ensuring that all job duties are performed in a manner that supports personnel safety, food safety, quality, and environmental practices. Your responsibilities will include managing and providing direction to a team of scientists and engineers to achieve annual goals, offering technical guidance in the development of new products and improvements to existing products. You will ensure that the product development team meets company requirements regarding cost capacity, quality, and product development. Additionally, you will oversee team activities, including staff supervision, project assignments, and performance monitoring, while also aiding in staff development and conducting annual performance reviews. As the R&D representative on IBTs, you will lead programs focused on cost reduction and innovation, partnering closely with Marketing, Procurement, Finance, and other technical functions to develop team priorities. Your expertise will be crucial in areas such as product and process development, ingredient functionality, and consumer acceptability. You will also monitor external developments, provide technical support to operations, and oversee the startup of new product introductions to ensure they meet timeline expectations and performance metrics. This position offers hybrid flexibility out of our corporate campus in Lakeville, MN, with relocation assistance available for highly qualified candidates.

Responsibilities

• Lead a product development and formulation team responsible for new and existing pet food and treats product innovation and renovation.
• Prioritize and manage product development team activities to meet PCB's cost, quality, and innovation objectives.
• Act as a key R&D business partner for Integrated Business Teams (IBTs).
• Manage and provide direction to staff of scientists and engineers to achieve annual goals.
• Provide technical guidance in the development of new products and improvements to existing products.
• Ensure product development team activities meet company cost capacity, quality, IBT, and product development requirements.
• Communicate and work with staff to ensure successful job performance and meet stated expectations.
• Aid in the development of staff and conduct annual formal performance reviews.
• Lead R&D programs in the area of Cost Out and Innovation.
• Partner closely with Marketing, Procurement, Finance, and IBTs to develop team priorities.
• Ensure effective collaboration with other technical functions including product research, consumer insights, process engineering, and packaging.
• Provide technical expertise in product and process development, ingredient functionality, and consumer acceptability.
• Monitor external developments including new ideas, competitive activity, and consumer feedback.
• Provide technical support to operations to reduce cost of goods and improve quality.
• Oversee startups of new product introductions or renovations to meet timeline expectations and performance metrics.

Requirements

• BS/MS in Chemical Engineering, Food Science, Animal Science, or a related field required.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in the food industry in product and process development or improvement roles.
• Broad experience in bringing various types of new unique products to market from concept to national launch.
• Expertise in process optimization, product formulation, statistical process control, and quality improvements.
• Experience working in a production facility required.
• Experience in pet food development required.
• Experience managing technical scientists and/or engineers required.
• Ability to provide quick technical direction and guidance on multiple projects simultaneously.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience using statistical methods and design of experiments.

Benefits

• Relocation assistance for highly qualified candidates.
• Hybrid work flexibility.