Director of Research Development

Overview

Research and Development Director – Food – Chicago, IL

Base pay range : $160,000.00 / yr - $185,000.00 / yr

Compensation details : $160,000 - $185,000 + 20% Bonus + Extensive Training + Food Safety Certifications + Exceptional Benefits + Competitive PTO + Holiday + 401(k) + Weekends Off

Are you an experienced food R&D professional with a proven track record of managing teams and operations across multiple sites? Ready to step into a Director role where you can drive innovation, develop new products, and oversee major R&D initiatives? This role leads R&D across multiple sites and large teams, collaborating with Marketing, Sales, Operations, and Supply Chain.

This is an industry-leading food manufacturer with multiple state-of-the-art facilities across the US, recent acquisitions, and a strong growth trajectory. You will drive ideas from concept through commercialization, ensure compliance with USDA, FDA, and other regulatory standards, and oversee large-scale R&D projects.

The Role

• Develop and lead R&D strategy across multiple sites, driving innovation from concept to commercialization
• Oversee product development, testing, scale-up, and compliance with USDA / FDA standards
• Lead, coach, and mentor technical teams while managing R&D budgets and resources

The Person

Key Competencies and Keywords

Research & Development Leadership, Innovation Strategy, Cross-functional Leadership, Team Development, Mentorship, Strategic Roadmap, New Product Development (NPD), Product Innovation, Reformulation, Product Optimization, Clean Label Development, Sensory Evaluation, Shelf-life Studies, Food Chemistry, Food Technology, Process Development, Scale-up from Pilot to Production, Manufacturing Process Optimization, Continuous Improvement, Cost Reduction Initiatives, Regulatory Compliance, FDA, USDA, CFIA, EFSA, Food Safety, HACCP, FSMA, SQF, BRC, Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Market Trend Analysis, Customer Collaboration, Commercialization, Intellectual Property, Patents, Sustainability Initiatives, Formulation Development, Pilot Plant Operations, Ingredient Functionality, Process Engineering, Data-driven Decision Making

How to apply

To apply for this role or to be considered for further roles, please click "Apply Now" or contact Seamus Curtin at Rise Technical Recruitment.

Rise Technical Recruitment Ltd acts an employment agency for permanent roles and an employment business for temporary roles. The salary advertised is the bracket available for this position. The actual salary paid will be dependent on your level of experience, qualifications and skill set. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitable candidates.

Employment details

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