Vice President Research & Development - Sauces and Dips

Why Marzetti?

At The Marzetti Company, we empower our people and nourish their potential.  Find community, be appreciated, experience growth and make an impact as part of our team!

We offer competitive benefits including:

• Health and life insurance plans
• Retirement savings benefits
• Paid parental leave and paid time off
• Tuition assistance
• Well-being incentives and on-site health care screenings
• Mental health benefits

A full list of benefits can be found here https://careers.marzetticompany.com/benefits

Role Overview

The Vice President of Research & Development will provide strategic leadership and set technical direction for the Sauces, Dressings and Dips category for food service and retail businesses. This role will partner with key cross functional partners across Marketing, Insights, Supply Chain, Engineering, Sales and Quality to deliver key strategic initiative to drive both topline and margin expansion. This role will translate business priorities into scalable innovation with technical rigor and disciplined commercialization. Success in growing the organization will be achieved by leading, inspiring and influencing others, building highly collaborative teams, and inspiring trust across the organization.

Responsibilities → What You'll Do

Strategic Leadership:

· Translate business objectives into R&D priorities to deliver both annual and long term initiatives

· Identify critical technical resources, skill and capabilities to meet long term corporate objectives

· Serve as a senior technical advisor to executive leadership team and key cross functional stakeholders

· Identify emerging technologies, trends, tools, AI systems to improve speed to market and successful consumer driven innovation

· Lead annual strategic planning and portfolio prioritization

· Business and Financial Acumen

Innovation & Commercialization:

· Partner with Insights, Marketing, Sales, and Key Customers to develop multiyear Innovation Pipeline

· Converts technical solutions into scalable Innovation and/or Design attributes to deliver Innovation across multiple food categories, channels and customers

· Lead all aspects of Product Development and Commercial execution from idea through launch

· Lead Product Lifecycle Management team and systems to ensure accuracy of data specific to ingredient, process and finished good specifications

· Ensure flawless scale up from bench to manufacturing, partnering with Engineering, Quality, Regulatory and Operations

Technical Leadership:

· Develops strong talent, ensures accountability and delivers technical discipline throughout the Stage Gate process

· Leads team using industry best practices, tools, systems, new technology across both retail and foodservice

· Utilizes technical readiness methodology and disciplined R&D process to consistently deliver projects on time and within budget

Margin Enhancement:

· Responsible for leading Enterprise Value Engineering and Supporting Productivity Margin improvement initiatives

· Implement best practices for Design to Value and Value Engineering

· Partners with Procurement to develop supply strategy, deliver flexible solutions related to ingredient sourcing to drive savings

· Leads ingredient technology and supplier collaboration

· Supports Supply Chain/Network Optimization Initiatives

Talent & Organizational Leadership:

· Develop high performing teams across both Retail and Foodservice

· Mentors, teaches and grows R&D technical talent, create enhanced organizational capabilities

· Develop next generation leaders

· Strengthen technical due diligence, rigor and scale up process

· Drive employee engagement and culture

How you'll do it

The successful candidate will put our values into practice every day:

Hunger​.  I come ready, pay attention, and refuse to settle for getting by when getting better is possible.​

Respect​.  I know my people by name, show up for them as humans, and never make anyone feel small.​

Courage​.  I say the hard thing, own my mistakes, and carry my team’s voice forward.​

Humility​.  I ask before I assume, learn from those around me, and lead with curiosity over ego.​

Qualifications → What You'll Bring

The Vice President of Research & Development will provide strategic leadership and set technical direction for the Sauces, Dressings and Dips category for food service and retail businesses. This role will partner with key cross functional partners across Marketing, Insights, Supply Chain, Engineering, Sales and Quality to deliver key strategic initiative to drive both topline and margin expansion. This role will translate business priorities into scalable innovation with technical rigor and disciplined commercialization. Success in growing the organization will be achieved by leading, inspiring and influencing others, building highly collaborative teams, and inspiring trust across the organization.
Competencies

· Strategic Mindset

· Technical Leadership

· Business Insight

· Manages Complexity

· Balances Stakeholders

· Builds Effective Teams

· Ensures Accountability

· Develops Talent

· Optimizes Work Processes

· Collaborates

· Financial Acume

Who we are

The Marzetti Company manufactures and sells specialty food products. Our retail brands include Marzetti, New York Bakery, Sister Schubert’s and Bachan’s, in addition to exclusive license agreements with Olive Garden, Chick-fil-A, Buffalo Wild Wings and Texas Roadhouse. 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. We are a spirited blend of tradition and innovation—real people crafting real flavor. We’re not just a team; we’re a promise—a commitment to craft, care, and create a legacy.

Working Conditions

Works in a normal office environment where the employee is regularly required to speak, see, hear, sit, stand, talk, type, walk and bend while moving about the facility. The noise level in the office is quiet. Occasional travel to plants or meetings is required.