General Summary

The R&D Director is responsible for defining, leading and executing King & Prince Seafood’s research and development strategy to foster innovation, build customer satisfaction and drive profitable business growth. This position leads the research and development team and partners with functions across the organization to ensure R&D objectives are met while delivering a robust and customer-centric innovation pipeline relevant to specific market segments.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Creates a positive and proactive safety culture. Demonstrates strong commitment and leadership to providing a sustainable, safe, and healthful work environment. Ensures full compliance with all applicable company and regulatory environmental, health and safety requirements.
• Promotes, supports and ensures compliance with all food safety and quality practices, policies, and initiatives.
• Creates and executes long-term research and development strategies and plans that support business objectives.
• Manages and develops staff to optimize the contributions of each member toward innovation, product development and culinary goals and objectives.
• Develops and manages a portfolio of project plans linked to key customer needs, product development strategies and multi-year platforms. 
• Leads the R&D team in leveraging insights to identify and develop new products, projects and technologies to drive growth. 
• Develops, tests and commercializes new value-added seafood products and processes.
• Manages key R&D projects, processes and performance reports, data and analytics.
• Deploys expertise in the areas of product formulation, flavor applications, ingredient interactions, analytical methods, statistical design of experiments, and commercial processing scale-up. 
• Initiates and leads the new product development (NPD) process including development of new product specifications.
• Leads cross-functional teams on strategic projects. Works cross-functionally to develop and implement improved products and processes.
• Oversees the corporate chef and culinary function.
• Develops and manages the department expense and capital budgets.
• Maintains current knowledge of key technologies and developments in the food industry to ensure the team is equipped with the best knowledge and has access to relevant external expertise, technical institutes and facilities.
• Analyzes and stays current with latest food trends, market research, developments in food science, and changes in technology through organizations such as IFT, RCA, and through relationships with vendors and universities. 
• Promotes continuous improvement through on-going teaching and training opportunities; identifies and implements product quality improvements, line extensions, and cost savings optimizations. 

• B.S. degree in Food Science/Technology/Engineering, natural sciences, or closely related field
• 7–10 years product development experience in the food industry, with at least 5 years in a leadership role, and a demonstrated track record of success in R&D
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills
• Ability to effectively collaborate and communicate cross-functionally, influence decisions and provide direction
• Strong project management skills; set and manage project objectives, critical paths and timelines
• Excellent organization and attention to detail
• Ability to work under own initiative, comfortable setting goals, analyzing performance and course corrections as needed
• Understanding of product development cycle from concept to commercialization including cost parameters and shelf life implications
• Proficient with MS Office and data base software
• Able to travel up to 20%, including internationally