VP Innovation, Culinary and Sensory

Overview The Vice President,R&D,Innovation-Sensory andCulinarywillbe a key member of the RDQ leadership team, responsible for shaping and driving the company’s innovation strategy acrossboth Retail and Foodservice Business Units.This role will overseeR&D Innovation, Culinary and Sensoryfunctions to deliver differentiated, consumer-led food solutions that drive strategic and profitable growth.This role will lead a cross-functional team to deliver breakthrough food innovation that fuels growth, enhances consumer experience, and strengthens the company’s competitive edge.The VPwill partner closely with Foodservice and Retail business units to ensureinnovationinitiatives are consumer-led, technically sound, and commerciallyviable. Responsibilities Strategic Leadership Define and execute the innovation strategy in alignment with enterprise growthobjectives. Serve as a thought leader, bringing future-forward thinking on culinary trends, consumer insights, and emerging technologies. Represent the RDQ function in cross-functional leadership forums to influence business strategy across both Retail and Foodservice channels. Team & Functional Leadership Lead and develop the Culinary, Innovation, and Sensory teams, fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and accountability. Ensurestrong teamengagement, talent development, and succession planning. Promote cross-functional alignment and communication between Research & Development, Quality, Supply Chain, Marketing, Insights,and Sales Elevate CulinaryFood Designthrough proactive trend identification usingAI tools to advance Innovation Pipeline DevelopCulinary/Innovation Playbook to drive best practices aroundCustomer Partnerships andCulinary Sellingto achieve topline growth objectives Build in-house Sensory capabilities to advance asciencebased,consumer ledapproach to food and packaging design Innovation Execution Leaddevelopment of new product platforms and culinary conceptsworking with Marketing and Sales cross functional partners Translateconsumer,customerand operator insights into product innovation that drives incremental growth in both Retail and Foodservice. Partner withR&D commercialization teams,Supply Chain, Engineeringto ensure feasibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness of new products. External Engagement & Trend Scouting Maintain strong awareness of global food trends, emerging technologies, and competitor activity. Build external partnerships with universities, suppliers, and industry experts to accelerate innovation. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Food Scienceor relatedtechnicalfieldrequired; Master’s or MBA preferred. 15+ years of progressive leadership experience inR&Dwithinthe CPG industry, leading large cross function teams. Proventrack recordof successfully launching newplatformsthat deliver business growth across multiple channels (RetailandFoodservice). Deep understanding of culinary development, sensory science, and consumer insight translation. Strong businessand financialacumen withabilityto connect innovation strategy to financial outcomes. Inspirationalleaderwith experience leading diverse, high-performing teams. Excellent collaboration,influencing, and communication skills at the executive level. #J-18808-Ljbffr The Marzetti Company