Group Vice President, Research & Development (R&D)

Description

Group Vice President, Research & Development

ABOUT GOLDEN STATE FOODS

Golden State Foods is a distinguished leader in the foodservice industry, offering an extensive array of products and services to a diverse clientele. Rooted in the values of quality service and integrity, we are dedicated to creating a supportive and inclusive atmosphere where employees can advance, innovate, and contribute to our ongoing success.

ABOUT THE JOB

The Group Vice President of Research & Development is a strategic, customer-facing leader responsible for driving innovation and product development that delights foodservice customers—particularly national restaurant chains and QSRs. This commercially focused executive will anticipate evolving consumer tastes and translate insights into differentiated, trend-forward, and scalable food solutions that elevate the company's position as a category leader in custom food manufacturing.

This role is critical to advancing the company’s growth agenda, directly enabling innovation and commercial success through close collaboration across functions including Product Development, Applications, Process Engineering, Sensory Science, Scientific Affairs, Technical Services, and Core Technology (e.g., emulsification systems). The R&D leader will also be expected to manage renovation initiatives such as formula improvements and ingredient optimization as well.

The ideal candidate will bring vision, structure, and inspiration to create a talented R&D team, balancing immediate customer demands with longer-term capability building. This leader will thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced, customer-centric environment while fostering a culture of excellence and agility.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Build and lead a high-performing, customer-obsessed R&D organization positioned as a critical growth engine within the business.

Partner cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Procurement, FSQR, and Culinary to deliver innovative and cost-effective custom food solutions.

Position the company as an industry leader in unique, high-quality, differentiated food products for foodservice customers.

Balance near-term project execution with long-term capability development—identifying new technology platforms, enhancing team competencies, and enabling future growth.

Optimize project prioritization and resource allocation to ensure the most impactful initiatives are resourced and accelerated.

Champion a consumer- and customer-centric innovation approach that integrates culinary creativity with technical feasibility.

Lead the R&D function with clarity and purpose, ensuring alignment to broader business goals and strategic direction.

Oversee the R&D budget, team structure, tools, and process efficiencies to improve speed to market.

Inspire a collaborative, accountable culture rooted in curiosity, experimentation, and continuous improvement.

Define and develop internal and external innovation capabilities aligned with the company’s future product roadmap.

Translate commercial strategies into actionable R&D plans that drive customer success and market leadership.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

Education / Certification :

• A bachelor’s degree is required; an advanced degree such as an MBA is desirable.

Experience :

15+ years of progressive R&D leadership experience within B2B foodservice, with a strong track record of delivering innovative, custom food solutions for large QSR or LSR customers. This executive is likely a #1 or #2 R&D leader currently within their current company.

Deep expertise in product development and menu innovation, preferably with a focus on liquid or formulated food products such as sauces, dressings, soups, or bases.

Demonstrated experience leading large, multi-site R&D teams (30+ FTEs) including food scientists, chefs, and culinary innovation experts.

Experience managing the entire R&D process from development to commercialization including scale up and customer success!

Proven ability to engage directly with strategic customers—acting as a proactive, trusted partner in solution development and commercialization.

Strong commercial orientation with the ability to translate customer needs into scalable product solutions and growth strategies.

Technical credibility combined with business acumen; capable of engaging internal stakeholders, customers, and manufacturing partners with equal fluency.

Experience in custom manufacturing environments, leveraging platform capabilities and equipment to maximize efficiency and drive innovation.

Skilled at navigating matrixed, cross-functional environments and building alignment across diverse business functions.

Excellent communicator and team builder; passionate about developing talent and fostering an energized, high-engagement culture.

Technical proficiency and credible – ability to provide direction and guidance, challenge, and guide customers and manufacturing teams.

Key Experience and Leadership Elements :

Strategic Mindset : Balances visionary thinking with practical execution.

Customer Obsession : Deep empathy for foodservice clients and their end consumers.

Team Leadership : Builds, motivates, and develops a high-impact, agile team.

Collaboration : Operates effectively across commercial, technical, and operational stakeholders.

Influence & Communication : Highly persuasive and clear communicator across all levels.

Bias for Action : Operates with urgency while maintaining quality and precision.

Innovation Catalyst : Pushes boundaries to bring new-to-world solutions to market

WHAT YOU’LL GET