Senior Director Front End Innovation Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Position Title: Sr. Director, R&D - Global Platform Innovation

Position Type: Regular - Full-Time

Requisition ID:40695

In every role, McCainers are ambitious, curious, and passionate about creating exceptional work experiences - together. With a customer-first mindset, we make doing business with McCain easy.

As Sr. Director, R&D - Global Platform Innovation, you are accountable for setting the vision, strategy, and execution of McCain's global innovation platforms across Potato and Global Snacking categories. You will lead a global team to translate consumer, customer, and technology insights into scalable product platforms that deliver differentiated value, drive growth, and strengthen McCain's competitive advantage.

Operating at the intersection of front-end innovation, science & technology, portfolio leadership, and people leadership, this role provides strategic direction while ensuring disciplined execution from ideation through commercialization. As a senior R&D leader, you will be a visible champion of innovation, a trusted cross-functional partner, and a developer of future R&D leaders. This is hybrid role based out of our beautiful NA Corporate office located in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois.

• Own and shape the global platform innovation strategy aligned to enterprise growth priorities, category strategies, and regional needs.

• Translate prioritized demand spaces into clear innovation roadmaps, platform strategies, and technical pathways.

• Ensure platforms are designed for global scalability, cost effectiveness, manufacturability, and long-term differentiation.

• Partner closely with Marketing, Insights, Culinary, Commercial, and Regional R&D teams to align innovation pipelines with consumer, customer, and business opportunities.

• Anticipate industry, technology, and competitive trends to inform future platform investments.

• Accountable for the end-to-end innovation portfolio, including breakthrough and platform extension opportunities.

• Establish prioritization, resourcing, and governance using Stage-Gate and portfolio management best practices.

• Enable timely, high-quality decision making by proactively managing risk, trade-offs, and dependencies.

• Drive strong linkage between front-end innovation and downstream development, scale-up, and commercialization.

• Clearly communicate portfolio status, risks, and value creation to senior leadership.

• Provide strategic leadership across product design, formulation, processing, scale-up, and commercialization.

• Partner with Advanced Technology & Innovation, Engineering, Quality, Procurement, and Manufacturing to integrate emerging and existing technologies.

• Champion design thinking, experimentation, and rapid learning cycles to accelerate innovation and reduce risk.

• Ensure technical rigor, data-driven decision making, and strong documentation standards.

• Strengthen global R&D capabilities, standards, and technical excellence.

• Build strong stakeholder networks across Marketing, Commercial, Operations, Supply Chain, and external partners.

• Lead globally while deeply understanding regional consumer, customer, and business needs.

• Enable two-way insight flow between global and regional teams to continuously strengthen platform strategies.

• Serve as a senior R&D representative in customer engagements, joint development initiatives, and strategic partnerships.

• Communicate complex technical and strategic concepts clearly to non-technical audiences, including senior leadership and customers.

• Influence outcomes through credibility, clarity, and alignment across competing priorities.

• Lead, inspire, and develop a high-performing global team of Product Development Scientists and Process Engineers.

• Foster a culture of accountability, inclusion, learning, and continuous improvement.

• Coach and mentor talent, aligning development plans with organizational needs and succession planning.

• Set clear expectations, performance metrics, and feedback mechanisms to drive engagement and results.

• Actively develop next-generation R&D leaders with strong technical, strategic, and people leadership capabilities.

• Lead complex, cross-functional change initiatives that strengthen innovation ways of working.

• Clarify decision rights, accountabilities, and operating models across global teams.

• Navigate ambiguity and organizational complexity with sound judgment and confidence.

• Serve as a trusted R&D leader recognized for integrity, transparency, and consistent delivery of results.

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Engineering, or a related technical discipline required; Master's degree, MBA, or equivalent preferred.

• Minimum of 10 years of R&D leadership experience within food, CPG, or manufacturing environments.

• Proven track record leading large, complex innovation portfolios and delivering scalable product platforms.

• Demonstrated success influencing senior leaders and driving enterprise-level outcomes.

• Strong strategic thinking with the ability to translate vision into executable plans.

• Exceptional communication and storytelling skills with executive-level presence.

• High learning agility and comfort operating in ambiguity.

• Courage to make difficult decisions, challenge constructively, and stand firm when needed.

• Skilled in conflict resolution, negotiation, and aligning diverse stakeholder perspectives.

• Deep understanding of the end-to-end product development lifecycle, from front-end innovation through commercialization.

• Strong foundation in formulation, ingredient functionality, processing, and scale-up.

• Working knowledge of GMP, HACCP, food safety, and regulatory requirements.

• Ability to integrate consumer desirability, technical feasibility, and business viability into decision making.

• Demonstrated application of data-driven approaches, experimentation, and continuous improvement.

• Ability to travel within North America and internationally up to 20%.

About McCain.

Click Here to learn more about McCain and how we provide you with opportunities to make an impact that matters.

Leadership principles.

At McCain, our leadership principles guide how we engage with customers, collaborate as a team, and achieve success. We focus on understanding customer needs, driving innovation, empowering people, and taking ownership to clear obstacles and deliver results.

The McCain experience.

We are McCain. This statement is a testament to our collective strength and our individual value. Your contributions play a vital role in our success. Our winning culture is rooted in authenticity and trust, empowering us to bring out the best in one another. Here, you'll find opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive. Join us and experience why we're better together.

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#Hybrid

Compensation Package:$175,000.00 - $225,000.00 . USD annually + Bonus eligibility + Long-term incentive eligibility

The above reflects the target compensation range for the position at the time of posting. Hiring compensation will be determined based on experience, skill set, education and training, and other organizational needs. This posting is for an existing vacancy.

Benefits: At McCain, we're on a mission to create a winning culture that puts employee safety and well-being at the heart of what we do, every day. We understand and appreciate that each person's needs are unique and ensure our benefits & well-being programs reflect that. Employees are eligible for the following benefits: health coverage (medical, dental, vision, prescription drug), retirement savings benefits, and leave support including medical, family and bereavement. Well-being programsinclude vacation and holidays, company-supported volunteering time, and mental health resources. Coverages are aligned with country, provincial and state governing plans and can vary by work level, location and nature of the role. Additional benefit detail available during the application process.

Your well-being matters to us, and we're here to provide you with the necessary resourcesto support you in being your best self at work - and at home.

McCain Foods is an equal opportunity employer. As a global family-owned company, we strive to be the employer of choice in the diverse communities around the world in which we live and work. We recognize that inclusion drives our creativity, resilience, and success and makes our business stronger. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

McCain is an accessible employer. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process (including alternate formats of materials or accessible meeting rooms), pleaselet us know and we will work with you to find appropriate solutions.

Your privacy is important to us. By submitting personal data or information to us, you agree this will be handled in accordance with McCain's Global Privacy Policyand Global Employee Privacy Policy, as applicable. McCain leverages AI in the hiring process, though all final decisions are made by humans. You can understand our approach to AI and how your personal information isbeing handled here.

Job Family:Research & Development
Location(s): US - United States of America : Illinois : Oakbrook Terrace

Company:McCain Foods USA, Inc.