Vice President, Research and Development

About the role

Saputo, a top 10 global dairy processor, is looking for a Vice President, Research and Development to set and run the Ingredients Division's technical and innovation strategy. The role owns the dairy-ingredient portfolio across whey- and milk-based proteins, carbohydrates, cultures and specialty solutions, leads optimization of existing products and processes, and builds a customer-focused technical organization with disciplined governance from discovery through first commercial production.

Key responsibilities

• Define and execute the R&D and technology roadmap aligned with division priorities and customer segments.
• Own the innovation portfolio, including stage-gate governance, business cases, resource allocation and technical risk assessments.
• Lead end-to-end development of whey- and milk-based proteins, carbohydrates, cultures and specialty ingredients, from discovery and formulation through pilot, scale-up, customer qualification and commercial production.
• Act as senior technical partner to strategic customers, leading co-development, technical selling, demonstrations and qualification reviews.
• Partner with Commercial, Sales, Operations, Engineering, Quality, Regulatory, Procurement, Finance and Supply Chain.
• Drive productivity and margins through yield, throughput, quality, energy, water, waste and raw-material optimization.
• Establish technical standards, specifications, data integrity, documentation and validation practices across labs, pilot facilities and plants.
• Champion digital R&D capabilities such as portfolio analytics, formulation and process modeling and technical knowledge bases.
• Ensure technical compliance with food safety, quality, labeling and regulatory standards, and lead intellectual-property strategy including patents and trade secrets.
• Build an external innovation ecosystem with suppliers, universities, research institutes and start-ups.
• Build and retain a multidisciplinary team, manage the R&D operating and capital budgets, and report pipeline health to division leadership.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Dairy Science, Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or a related field; master's or PhD strongly preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive R&D, innovation or product-development experience in dairy, food ingredients, nutrition or a closely related industry, with significant leadership of managers and technical teams.
• Proven track record of commercializing B2B dairy ingredients from bench through pilot and factory scale-up.
• Executive-level business and financial acumen, including portfolio prioritization, budget leadership and cost-benefit analysis.
• Experience setting stage-gate governance, technical standards and knowledge-management practices.
• Strong communication skills, able to explain complex science to customers, plant teams and executives.

Required skills

• Deep knowledge of dairy-component chemistry and separation, concentration, drying, fermentation and formulation technologies.
• Working knowledge of food safety, quality systems, regulatory and labeling requirements, intellectual property and risk management.

What we offer

• Development opportunities that enhance your career.
• Compensation and benefits designed to support your family.
• The chance to contribute to your community through Saputo products.