Food Research Development Jobs in Arizona (NOW HIRING)

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Job Number #174766 - Scottsdale, Arizona, United States
Who We Are
Colgate-Palmolive Company is a global consumer products company operating in over 200 countries specializing in Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care, Skin Care, and Pet Nutrition. Our products are trusted in more households than any other brand in the world, making us a household name!
Join Colgate-Palmolive, a caring, innovative growth company reimagining a healthier future for people, their pets, and our planet. Guided by our core values-Caring, Inclusive, and Courageous-we foster a culture that inspires our people to achieve common goals. Together, let's build a brighter, healthier future for all.
Company Overview:
At Hill's we have a purpose to transform the lives of millions of pet families through pioneering innovation, science-led nutrition, and the best and brightest people. If you're interested in work that matters, fueled by passion for pets, we invite you to apply.
Founded more than 75 years ago with an unwavering commitment to pet nutrition, Hill's mission is to help enrich and lengthen the special relationships between people and their pets. Our decades of science and research guide us in creating nutrition that's a step ahead so pets and pet parents can enjoy every day together. As the US #1 Veterinarian recommended pet food brand, knowledge is our first ingredient with 220+ veterinarians, PhD nutritionists and food scientists working to develop breakthrough innovations in pet health.
General Summary:
The Director, Customer Development - PetSmart provides high-level strategic leadership and hands-on operational management to accelerate Hill's growth within one of our most critical, strategic omni-channel retail partners. Reporting directly to the SVP of Hill's US CDO, this individual serves as a vital member of the CDO functional leadership team.
The Director is fully accountable for the customer leadership, business development, and commercial execution of a mid-sized Customer Development team.
The Director will establish Hill's as the partner of choice by orchestrating advanced joint value plans, navigating complex negotiations, and managing sophisticated omnichannel ecosystem integrations across brick-and- mortar, digital commerce and veterinary clinics. The ideal candidate possesses deep customer management expertise, robust strategic and financial acumen, and a proven track record of people management to inspire a high-performing team to win across all brick-and-mortar and digital touchpoints.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

• Strategic JVP & Business Development: Formulate and execute a long-term strategic vision and Joint Value Creation Plan (JVP) with PetSmart. Identify new commercial growth opportunities tailored to the evolving needs of the omni-channel shopper, aligning Hill's brand growth plans with the retailer's expanding capabilities to drive sustainable category outperformance.
• Team Leadership & Capability Building: Lead, motivate, and develop a mid-sized Customer Development team. Manage the end-to-end talent lifecycle-including recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and continuous capability training-ensuring the team is agile and equipped to meet future commercial demands. Instilling an inclusive culture where team members feel psychologically safe, driving high performance and collaborative innovation.
• Omni Execution & Ecosystem Integration: Ensure seamless, superior execution of strategic priorities across PetSmart's omnichannel operations including brick-and-mortar, digital commerce, and in-store veterinary clinics. Integrate Hill's initiatives with PetSmart's advanced ecosystem capabilities, such as pet services, proprietary data clean rooms, and loyalty programs to enhance execution plans.
• Data-Driven Insights & Category Growth: Leverage advanced category data, customer analytics, and RGM (Revenue Growth Management) tools to champion data-driven decision-making. Translate complex insights into tailored solutions and localized strategies that accelerate both category and Hill's brand growth.
• Commercial & Financial Governance: Manage and provide an objective, high-level perspective in the negotiation of Joint Value Plans and commercial opportunities. Ensure all investment recommendations optimize budgeted trade spend while meeting rigorous commercial, volume, and profitability goals.
• Omni Demand Generation & Advocacy: Optimize PetSmart's multi-faceted retail ecosystem as a core pillar of Hill's Omni Demand Generation model. Align retail activations with brand growth plans and professional advocacy initiatives to maximize customer visit frequency, brand preference, and long-term loyalty.

Required Qualifications

BS/BA in Business Administration, Marketing, Economics, or a related commercial field.
• 10+ years of relevant commercial experience within Customer Development, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), or related retail industries.
• 5+ years of direct customer management and complex negotiation experience, preferably inclusive of key pet specialty, mass, or omni-channel retailers.
• 4+ years of experience leading teams, with a demonstrated ability to manage professionals and guide cross-functional project teams.

Preferred Qualifications

MBA or advanced degree
• Prior experience within pet industry, vet services and or veterinary ecosystems
• Prior experience working alongside with omnichannel retailers
• Skilled at navigating advanced data-sharing agreements, data clean rooms, or multi-party digital marketplace partnerships
• Ability to translate corporate and CDO-level priorities into actionable, customer-centric functional initiatives.

Travel Requirements

Approximately 30% to facilitate top-to-top strategic partnership meetings, corporate reviews, industry conferences and field execution audits.

Compensation and Benefits
Salary Range $200,000.00 - $250,000.00 USD
Pay is determined based on experience, qualifications, and location. Salaried employees may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, profit-sharing, and long-term incentives for Executive-level roles.
Benefits: Salaried employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, basic life insurance, paid parental leave, disability coverage, and participation in the 401(k) retirement plan with company matching contributions subject to eligibility requirements. Additional benefits include a minimum of 15 vacation/PTO days (hourly employees receive a minimum of 120 hours) and 13 paid holidays (vacation days are prorated based on the employee's hire date within the calendar year). Paid sick leave is adjusted based on role and location in accordance with local laws. Detailed information regarding paid sick leave entitlements will be provided to employees upon hiring and may be subject to adjustments based on changes in legislation or company policies.
Our Commitment to Inclusion
Our journey begins with our people-developing strong talent with diverse backgrounds and perspectives to best serve our consumers around the world and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels a true sense of belonging. We are dedicated to ensuring that each individual can be their authentic self, is treated with respect, and is empowered by leadership to contribute meaningfully to our business.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Colgate is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, veteran status (United States positions), or any other characteristic protected by law.
Reasonable accommodation during the application process is available for persons with disabilities. Please complete this request form should you require accommodation.
For additional Colgate terms and conditions, please click here.
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