Head of Product Development, Food and Beverage

FUTURE DIFFERENCE MAKERS WANTED!

CuliNEX is a clean label food and beverage development company that is dedicated to nourishing a brighter future through food innovation. We continue to grow and are looking for passionate food professionals to join our team.

If you are looking to accelerate your career in culinary science and food product development, let’s start the conversation today.

Our Company

Since 2005, CuliNEX has been the industry’s premier consulting firm providing product development & strategic business services focused on clean label food products. We strive to exceed our client’s business goals by developing delicious, clean label foods that create a better planet, healthier people and happier communities. We are now part of the JPG Resources family of companies.

What We Do

We’re passionate about creating great tasting, wholesome food. We specialize in assisting brand owners, food manufacturers, ingredient suppliers and retailers with achieving their growth goals by bringing successful products to market. Our expertise covers a wide variety of food product categories including frozen, refrigerated and shelf stable products, seafood, bakery goods, soups and sauces, dairy products, grains, produce and snack items.

About you

We are seeking a dynamic, friendly leader who loves a good challenge and good people to work with. The ideal candidate will have strong technical, organizational and people skills. A sense of humor under pressure and a sense of pride in your work enable the team to succeed. Tech savvy, you can work well with Microsoft's full suite of products including Office 365, Teams and SharePoint as well as a wide variety of other software products.

Job Summary and Mission

This job contributes to CuliNEX success by ensuring the implementation and execution of consulting services contracts that meet project deliverables and client expectations. The responsibilities include management of the Project Managers and Developers on the Operations Team, monitoring and balancing labor utilization, execution of project timelines and deliverables, and facilitating education and employee engagement. The Head of Product Development reports to the company Managing Director and works closely with Revenue Operations, key clients and SMEs.

Summary of Key Responsibilities

The Head of Product Development is responsible for overseeing the execution of food consulting services at CuliNEX, which include but are not limited to the following service areas; Product Development Services, Product Quality Verification, and Sales & Marketing Support.

Company Leadership Team

Participate and contribute to R&D strategy, goal setting, hiring and recruiting efforts.

Foster and maintain company culture, reputation, and clean label leadership in the industry.

Encourage company efficiency, effectiveness, and employee engagement.

Accountable for physical kitchen including cleanliness, equipment maintenance, lab supplies

Oversight of Developers and Project Managers

Provides operational and technical leadership to the development team to assure effective product development, planning, resourcing, and prioritization to meet project objectives.

Partner with Sales to generate new business opportunities

Provide technical expertise during the sales process

Help Sales realistically assess opportunities

Scope new projects that are cost effective and efficient

Build realistic project plans, modifying project templates as needed

Manages labor allocation, project assignments, and project workload between team members and contractor resources.

Lead the Development of more technically complex or risky projects.

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in relevant field (Food Science, Biology, etc.). Advanced degree a bonus (MSc., MBA, etc.)

Minimum 10 yrs of food industry product development with an additional 5 yrs in a proven supervisory role

Certifications, Licenses & Memberships

Member of IFT (national & local)

Member of RCA

Recommended

Certified Food Scientist (CFS)

Certified Research Chef (CRC) or Certified Culinary Scientist (CCS)

Preventative Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI)

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.

Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Strong supervisory and leadership skills.

Ability to prioritize tasks and to delegate them when appropriate.

Ability to function well in a high-paced and at times stressful environment.

Physical Work Abilities and Requirements

This position requires walking, typing, and sitting/standing for extended periods.