Director of Innovation, Protein Fortification

Director Of Innovation

Ingredion is seeking a Director of Innovation for our Protein Fortification business segment. The Director of Innovation will be part of the Growth Portfolio Team and the Protein Fortification Team. In this role, you will lead cross-functional teams to deliver technology, ingredients, and knowledge solutions that fulfill our strategic goals in Protein Fortification. You will work closely with the General Manager (GM) of the Protein Fortification business to ensure alignment and effective execution of key initiatives.

What You Will Do :

Serve as a member of the Protein Fortification leadership team, helping to define the segment's strategic direction and key programs / projects to drive growth or improve operating margins through new product / process innovation and ingredient solutions in targeted market and application segments.

Act as a recognized expert and primary contact for major global and / or regional customers, driving innovation and meeting their specific protein fortification needs.

Maintain strong industry connections, leveraging relationships to accelerate innovation. Be active in relevant technical organizations and regularly lead symposiums or deliver presentations at industry events.

Own An Innovation Portfolio For Where To Play And How To Win :

Shape, sponsor, and own innovation projects and programs that define our protein fortification strategy and competitive approach.

Own the development of the segment's Innovation agenda and project pipeline. Manage the delivery of innovative solutions through a portfolio of projects.

Collaborate with business segment partners, regional go-to-market teams, and key Innovation personnel to support global rollout of new protein products, ensuring successful product launches.

Coordinate assessment of Intellectual Property potential and communicate key challenges and opportunities to the business.

Develop or support capital investment justifications to implement new technical capabilities in Protein Fortification Innovation.

Ensure regular communication of portfolio and project evolution to global stakeholders as part of innovation review processes.

Identify Critical Innovation Capabilities Required For Success :

Stay current with key technologies and developments in the protein and food ingredient industries to ensure the team is equipped with the latest knowledge and access to relevant external expertise, technical institutes, and facilities.

Lead, coach, influence, and guide assigned Innovation teams to consistently deliver on challenging technical and business goals. Assess team's functional and technical capabilities, identify key performance gaps, and develop and execute improvement plans.

Work with appropriate line managers to define key yearly objectives for inclusion in our performance management system. Actively participate in talent development discussions with line managers for members of the Protein Fortification innovation community.

Leverage Our Enabling Management Systems To Support Platform Innovation :

Leverage our enabling management systems to support and accelerate innovation, ensuring Protein Fortification projects are resourced for success and prioritized at the enterprise level.

Drive effective project management processes, utilizing appropriate skill sets and capabilities to allow rapid commercialization of new protein ingredients and solutions. Apply insights across a broad range of formulation / ingredient development opportunities and respond to internal / external customer needs.

What You Will Bring :

PhD / MS degree in food science, chemistry, engineering, or a related field with 10+ years of R&D / product development experience. Broad knowledge across R&D / product development categories.

Extensive expertise in food ingredient technology, with specialized knowledge in protein systems, technologies, and processing. Robust technical background in proteins and protein fortification technologies.

Innovative thinking and the ability to drive change through teams.

Experience developing and translating strategy into clear objectives and deliverables.

Proven ability to manage teams and communicate effectively with multifunctional, multiregional teams and stakeholders.

Excellent people management and coaching skills.

Strong networking, influencing, project, and time management abilities.

Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills.

Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to interact across all levels of the organization and in various cultures, internally and externally.

Excellent written and oral communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to write comprehensive technical reports and deliver technical presentations.

Expected Travel : Approximately 15-25% (regionally and globally)

Who You Are :

An innovative thinker with the ability to implement change through a team of people

An inspiring leader with sound judgement, business acumen, and decision-making authority

A collaborator with a demonstrated ability in stakeholder management. Ability to collaborate across a diverse group of stakeholders in a matrix organization to achieve outcomes.

Comfortable at managing risk, complexity, diversity, and ambiguity

Self-motivated and performs well under pressure

Passionate about delivering Protein fortification solutions that help healthy taste better!

Why Join Ingredion?

Discover why Ingredion is the ideal place to advance your career with our exceptional rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive. Create the future with us and enjoy :

Total Rewards Package Competitive salary and performance-based pay recognizing your contributions to our success

Comprehensive Benefits & Wellness Support Health, long-term savings, and resources for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being

Career Growth Learning, training, and development opportunities, including tuition reimbursement

Employee Recognition Program A culture of real-time appreciation, with personalized recognition rewards globally

Employee Discount Program Provides exclusive discounts on everyday products, services, and travel

Relocation Available : Yes, Within Country

Pay Range : $175,200.00-$233,600.00 Annual

This pay range is not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Final base salary will be determined based on several factors which may include but are not limited to responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data and applicable bargaining agreement (if any).

Incentive Compensation : As a part of the total compensation package, this role may be eligible for the Ingredion Annual Incentive Plan or a role-specific commission / bonus.

Benefits : Full-time roles are eligible for our comprehensive benefits package which includes medical, dental and vision coverage as well as a 401(k) plan with a competitive company match.