The Marzetti Company · 19 hours ago
Sr. Manager R&D (Grain & Dough)
Lewis Center, OH
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
10+ years expThe Marzetti Company is seeking a Senior Manager for R&D in the Bakery, Grain & Dough sector. This leadership role involves managing a technical team to drive product and process development while collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders to align project goals and execute a long-term technology roadmap.
Food and BeverageFood ProcessingManufacturingWholesale
Responsibilities
Lead, coach, and develop a small team of scientists and/or engineers; set clear goals, provide ongoing feedback, and support performance and career growth
Serve as a hands ‑ on leader and technical mentor, elevating capability both within the immediate team and across RDQ
Foster an inclusive, high ‑ performance culture and balance near ‑ term delivery with long ‑ term capability building
Develop and implement robust professional development plans for R&D team members, creating opportunities for growth and skill advancement in alignment with our culture
Conduct performance reviews for team members
Act as a technical leader in Bakery, Grain & Dough and/or Processing, setting standards for formulation, experimentation, scale ‑ up, and commercialization, as well as influencing cross functional stakeholders on project attributes, feasibility and plans
Define and advance a multi ‑ year technology pipeline aligned to business strategy
Identify and apply new ingredients, processing, and manufacturing technologies to improve product quality, cost, and speed ‑ to ‑ market
Ensure clear technical documentation and effective communication of results to both technical and business audiences
Own delivery of a prioritized project portfolio (renovation, productivity, and quality initiatives)
Drive disciplined project execution, data ‑ based decision ‑ making, and risk management
Lead structured problem ‑ solving and issue resolution as needed
Lead the investigation, planning, and execution of new product and process development projects from concept through commercialization
Provide leadership and technical expertise on multiple complex projects, contributing creative solutions to support innovation and growth
Partner with Brand, Operations, Quality, Procurement, Finance, and Commercial teams to deliver business ‑ aligned technical solutions
Apply business acumen (COGS, margin drivers, capex/opex trade ‑ offs) to influence decisions
Collaborate with suppliers and external partners to accelerate development and de ‑ risk scale ‑ up
Maintain regular communication with team members—individually and collectively—to review project status, provide feedback, address challenges, and plan next steps
Ensure compliance with labeling, specifications, and internal quality systems
Champion food safety and quality by design from concept through commercialization
Standardize best practices, methods, and toolkits across RDQ; implement new processes and digital tools to enable speed and reliability
Build organizational technical depth in focus areas; provide actionable feedback across teams to elevate overall capability
Maintain awareness of emerging technologies, ingredients, consumer trends, and regulatory shifts; convert insights into pipeline opportunities and competitive advantage
Represent Marzetti with external partners and at industry forums as appropriate
Qualification
Required
BS in Food Science, Chemical Engineering, or related field (Bakery/Grain & Dough focus preferred); MS or PhD a plus
10+ years in food/product development or process engineering within consumer goods
8+ years of experience in Bakery, Grain & Dough and/or Processing
Proven people-management experience leading technical R&D teams, including coaching, workload and resource planning, performance management, and developing high-performance talent
Proven success delivering innovation or process improvements from concept through commercialization
Experience collaborating with customers, suppliers, assemblers, and co-manufacturers to develop and commercialize new products
Strong working knowledge of food science, food chemistry, and nutrition
Strong understanding of scientific principles and methods relevant to bakery product research and development
Excellent problem-solving skills, with the ability to assist scientists and Operations in diagnosing issues and implementing effective solutions
Familiarity with food manufacturing facilities, preferably with significant experience in bakery processes
Solid understanding of product/process and product/package interactions, including key packaging properties
Knowledge of GMP, HACCP, shelf life, and modes of spoilage
Working knowledge of COGS and key margin drivers
Familiarity with labeling regulations, including nutrition panel creation
Strong organizational, time management, and prioritization skills
Ability to work effectively in ambiguous, fast‑changing environments
Travel on an as-needed basis, which may vary depending on business requirements (up to 50%)
Strong creativity, problem‑solving, and communication skills (written, verbal, presentation)
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and PowerPoint; product formulation software experience a plus
Preferred
Broad knowledge of food ingredients, with particular expertise in grain-based foods preferred
Company
The Marzetti Company
The Marzetti Company is a food and beverage company that manufactures and sells sauces, dressings, breads, and pasta.
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
The Marzetti Company has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2024 (2)
2020 (4)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Steven Hill
Chief Science Officer and Vice President R&D, Quality, Food Safety, Regulatory, Engineering
Angie Burchfield
HR Business Partner
Recent News
2026-01-20
MarketScreener
2025-11-19
2025-11-04
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