New Product Development - Lead Developer

Agrana Fruit seeks to hire a New Product Lead Developer to join our Food Manufacturing team in Brecksville, OH!

AGRANA Fruit is the global leader in delivering healthy and delicious fruit solutions in one of the fastest growing segments in the food industry. We partner with our customers to develop innovative products across multiple categories including refrigerated & frozen dairy, bakery and food service. Our team of experts are passionate about the wonderful world of food and meeting the needs of consumers around the world.

This Lead Developer manages Product Developers to ensure they have the appropriate tools, support, and resources to adequately service all our customers' needs. This position acts as the main customer contact for NPD and will serve as the voice of the customer.

New Product Development Lead Developer Job Responsibilities :

• Responsible for all development and innovations for specific customer accounts. This involves receiving the brief, structure of the project, required research, formula development, sample submissions, risk analysis, trial and launches and all customer contact.
• Prioritize and manage all product development efforts within the department to adequately service our customers. Establish project plans and strategic project plans to achieve the desired business outcomes, providing a centralized view across the customer team. Lead and manage large-scale, organization-wide projects through planning, development, launch, stabilization and close.
• Research new ingredients and concepts so that they can be applied as an improvement, cost reduction, or innovation, which enables us to excel above our competitors.
• Reporting of Product Development activities to Head of NPD
• Management of Product Developer team members which includes, performance, management, and training.
• Establish and manage regular meetings with operations groups to ensure timely trial production and launches.
• Manage multiple concurrent projects and / or projects with multiple work streams that require inputs from cross-functional stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with Agrana and key customer stakeholders. Consult with stakeholders on their current operations, suggest improvements, and collaborate on change management.

New Product Developer Requirements :

Agrana Fruit offers a competitive salary and provides an excellent benefits package. Benefits offered by Agrana are designed to promote wellness and the well-being of every Agrana employee.