Research and Development Director jobs in Salisbury, NC

We believe being healthy should not require tradeoffs. SCN BestCo is a leading innovator, developer and manufacturer of Vitamin, Mineral & Supplement (VMS), Over-the-Counter (OTC) and prebiotics/probiotics in enjoyable forms such as gummies, lozenges and chews. With over 50 years of excellence, our team leads the way in changing how consumers make healthier choices.  With unique food science expertise and proprietary processes, we’ve pioneered many firsts.  Our passion to create new to the world products has guided and continues to be core to our mission of making health and wellness more enjoyable. Come join us and become a part of our winning formula!  

The Director, Research & Development (R&D) drives the core innovation pipeline/portfolio, directing and coordinating the planning, research, and development functions to improve existing and create new products, processes, and services. This position not only drives core innovation but helps define and optimize the innovation process, developing high performance teams to deliver it as well as continually helping to improve efficiency of our base business.

• Define onboarding and training programs that ensure R&D staff are consistently operating to current best approaches or improving on them.
• Lead the product development process from ideation to commercialization, working closely with sales, marketing, and operations teams to bring new products to the market and develop customers to meet growth objectives.
• Create and drive the core innovation pipeline of new products, actively manage resources vs customer need, and oversee product portfolio/lifecycle management.
• Create and champion best-in-class formulation and product development approaches.
• Improve efficiency/impact of relevant tools and processes related to innovation and scale-up activities.
• Collaborate with Technical Transfer and Engineering teams to formulate and/or scale-up new and existing products to realize manufacturing efficiencies, whilst maintaining key design criteria.
• Drive capacity, transferring products with improved efficiency and delivery of technical programs.
• Actively participate in a cross-site R&D Leadership team and help build a high-performance cross-site culture to fully leverage and develop talent, including supporting the optimization of the company’s approach to innovation and improved capabilities.
• Cultivate a productive collaborative environment across different product teams and functional teams.
• Provide site and company leadership by participating and driving key company initiatives through the Site Leadership Team (SLT).
• Review and analyze proposals submitted to determine if benefits derived and possible applications justify expenditures.
• Submit proposals considered feasible to management for further consideration and recommend allocation of funds to support them.
• Develop and implement methods and procedures for monitoring projects, such as preparation of records of expenditures and research findings, progress reports, and staff conferences, to inform management of status of each project.
• Prepare reports on progress and recommend the addition, expansion, or discontinuance of projects.
• Prepare and administer research and development budget.
• Actively develop supplier relationships and leverage consulting firms where necessary to access new capabilities.
• Negotiate contracts with third parties as needed to access additional capabilities.
• Travel to engage with suppliers and development partners as needed with some international travel possible.

Director, Research & Development will carry out People Leader Responsibilities in accordance with the Company’s policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include:

• Recruit, hire, train, develop, and mentor department staff, evaluate staff performance, and develop goals and objectives to create an empowered high-performance team and cultivate top talent.
• Provide leadership, mentorship, and subject matter expertise (SME) training to technical development talent throughout the company.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in food science or a relevant field of study.
• 12 years of experience in Product Development or Research & Development.
• 10 years of progressive professional leadership and management experience.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities (KSAs):

• Comprehensive knowledge of product development in the dietary supplement or food & beverage industry.
• Advanced skill in Microsoft Office
• Advanced skill in ERP and CRM software.
• Strong leadership skills including the ability to manage and create a winning team to meet company goals.
• Ability to analyze data to determine gaps/inefficiencies in processes and drive improvements.
• Ability to comprehend and apply principles of advanced calculus, modern algebra, and advanced statistical theory. Ability to work with concepts such as limits, rings, quadratic and differential equations, and proofs of theorems.
• Must have the ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with internal staff and management. Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to write speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.
• Must be able to demonstrate practical problem solving and trouble shooting skills. Ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to a wide range of intellectual and practical problems. Ability to deal with nonverbal symbolism (formulas, scientific equations, graphs, musical notes, etc.,) in its most difficult phases. Ability to deal with a variety of abstract and concrete variables.

Education and Experience:

• Master’s or PhD in food science or a relevant field of study.
• Experience in contract manufacturing.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities