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Sr. Manager Retail, Research and Development

About Us:

The Marzetti Company (Nasdaq: MZTI) manufactures and sells specialty food products. Our retail brands include Marzetti® dressings and dips, New York Bakery™ garlic breads, and Sister Schubert’s® dinner rolls, in addition to exclusive license agreements for Olive Garden® dressings, Chick-fil-A® sauces and dressings, Buffalo Wild Wings® sauces, Arby’s® sauces, Subway® sauces, and Texas Roadhouse® steak sauces and frozen rolls. Our foodservice business supplies sauces, dressings, breads, and pasta to many of the top restaurant chains in the United States.

At Marzetti, our mission is to make every meal better through high-quality, flavorful food. Led by our purpose, to nourish growth with all that we do, our team members are dedicated to creating great tasting food and cultivating deep and lasting relationships.

Overview:

Leads R&D for Retail Dressings, Dips, and Sauces portfolio, owning product development from design through commercialization and launch. Accountable for delivering a pipeline of products that meet quality, cost, and performance targets while ensuring successful scale-up and manufacturing execution.

Partners closely with Innovation R&D to transition concepts into development and leads concept development for line extensions, renovations, and customer-driven initiatives. Leads and develops a team of food scientists and serves as a key cross-functional partner to drive business results.

We kindly request that recruitment agencies and staffing firms refrain from submitting unsolicited resumes to our company. Any resumes sent without a prior agreement and access to proper submittal into the ATS will be considered the property of The Marzetti Company, and we reserve the right to contact those candidates without any obligation to pay a fee.

Responsibilities:

Concept Development & Innovation Integration

Lead concept development for line extensions, product improvements, and customer-driven initiatives within existing brands.
Partner with Marketing to translate consumer insights and business needs into technically viable product concepts.
Collaborate with Innovation R&D to evaluate, refine, and transition early-stage concepts into development.
Provide feasibility input on formulation, cost, and manufacturability, and identify key technical risks.
Ensure alignment between concept intent and final product execution.

Product Development & Commercialization

Own product development from design phase through commercialization and launch
Lead formulation and process development to deliver products that meet quality, cost, and performance targets.
Drive scale-up from pilot to full manufacturing, including plant trials and start-ups.
Finalize product and process specifications to ensure consistent manufacturing execution.

Technical Execution & Business Ownership

Own the technical integrity of products, including formulation, specifications, and process design.
Ensure all products meet food safety, regulatory, and quality requirements.
Delivering cost-effective solutions aligned with margin targets and sourcing constraints.
Lead risk identification and mitigation across development and commercialization.
Ensure adherence to commercialization processes and drive continuous improvement in R&D ways of working.
Ensure compliance with all applicable regulations and company policies.

Cross-Functional Leadership

Serve as the primary R&D partner to Brand, Sales, Operations, Procurement, Finance, Engineering, QA, and external partners.
Align technical solutions with business objectives, customer requirements, and operational capabilities.
Influence decisions to improve speed-to-market, reduce rework, and enhance product performance.
Communicate project status, risks, and opportunities clearly to stakeholders and senior leadership.

People Leadership & Organizational Development

Lead, coach, and develop a team of food scientists, strengthening both technical capability and business acumen.
Drive performance management, talent development, and succession planning.
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

This role serves as the critical bridge between innovation and execution—leading targeted concept development for existing brands, enabling the successful transition of breakthrough ideas from Innovation R&D, and ensuring products are delivered effectively at scale.

#TMZ23

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in food science, Food Engineering, Microbiology, Chemistry, or related field
10+ years of experience in food product development and/or manufacturing, including formulation and commercialization.
Proven ability to scale products from development to plant production.
Strong knowledge of food science principles, including formulation, food safety, and product/process interactions.
Understanding of regulatory requirements, GMP, HACCP, and labeling
Ability to develop products that balance quality, cost, and manufacturability.
Experience leading projects and influencing cross-functional teams.
Effective communication skills and ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, changing environment.

Supervisory Responsibility:

Directly supervises 3-4 R & D scientists. Supervisory responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, training, goal setting, scheduling, appraising, and terminating employees; planning, assigning, prioritizing, and directing work; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints/issues and resolving problems.

Competencies:

Strategic Mindset
Plans and Aligns
Cultivates Innovation
Decision Quality
Builds Effective Teams

Working Conditions/Environment:

Works in a laboratory and manufacturing environment where the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, climb, crouch, reach and bend while moving about the facility. Requires some lifting of moderately heavy items such as test equipment and product cases. The noise level in the lab is moderate and loud in the plant. Hairnets, earplugs, goggles, and gloves are required in accordance with GMP and safety standards.

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