Us
Vice President, Research & Development - Coffee
Orrville, OH · Exec
Sponsorship not specifiedDetected 6 hours ago
Brand StrategySupply ChainProcurementResearchLeadershipCollaborationWritingFood Science
About the role
- Leverage enterprise capabilities, platforms, and shared services to advance the Coffee development agenda while contributing to our R&D function-wide priorities.
- Stay connected with us on LinkedIn® We're an equal opportunity employer.
- All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, age, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status.
Responsibilities
- Own our Coffee Strategic Business Area (SBA) development strategy - including roast/blend innovation, format and occasion expansion (one-cup, RTD, espresso-style iced beverages), packaging innovation, and renovation pipelines for Folgers, Dunkin', Café Bustelo, Medaglia D'Oro, and Café Pilon.
- Lead and manage large, cross-disciplinary technical teams through all aspects of the product life-cycle - from green coffee evaluation and cupping through commercialization and in-market support.
- Partner closely with our Procurement organization to align on commodity sourcing, supplier qualification, and roasting facility excellence - recognizing the uniquely commodity-intensive nature of the coffee business.
- Maintain alignment and collaborative with our Senior VP of our Science and Technical Excellence and team by leveraging shared platforms (sensory, analytical labs, packaging, regulatory, technical writing & specs) to ensure Coffee R&D priorities are integrated into enterprise capability roadmaps.
- Build and develop high performing teams with strong technical and leadership capabilities to drive engagement and growth.
- Leverage internal and external technology capabilities to develop products that delight consumers; continuously search for and vet advanced technologies (extraction, processing, sustainable sourcing, RTD beverage systems, premiumization platforms) that complement areas of strategic focus.
- Support business continuity, productivity, and continuous improvement in partnership with our enterprise Transformation Office, contributing to margin recovery and supply chain resilience.
- Own the end-to-end Research & Development (R&D) strategy for an iconic portfolio including Folgers®, Dunkin'® (At Home), Café Bustelo®, Medaglia D'Oro®, and Café Pilon®.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical field
- 7+ years of progressive R&D experience within the food and beverage industry, with significant leadership accountability.
- Deep expertise in beverage and/or coffee science including product development, roast/blend formulation, flavor development, and processing technologies.
- Proven experience leading large, cross-functional teams and complex product portfolios from concept through commercialization.
- Demonstrated experience navigating commodity-intensive categories and partnering with Procurement on sourcing, hedging-aware development, and supplier innovation.
- Ability to translate technical insights into business impact, prioritize innovation pipelines, and ensure disciplined R&D investment aligned to commercial objectives.
- Advanced degree in science or engineering field
- Familiarity with green coffee sourcing, roasting, grinding, packaging, one-cup/pod systems, instant/soluble, and/or RTD beverage formats.
- Experience working in highly matrixed organizations and leveraging shared enterprise capabilities
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