Vice President, Research & Development - Coffee
Your Opportunity as the Vice President of Coffee Research & DevelopmentOwn 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®. Provide scientific and technical guidance across green coffee sourcing, roast and blend development, sensory and flavor science, packaging, process engineering, and format innovation including ground, whole bean, one-cup/K-Cup pods, instant, espresso, and ready-to-drink (RTD). Leverage enterprise capabilities, platforms, and shared services to advance the Coffee development agenda while contributing to our R&D function-wide priorities.Location: Orrville, OHWork Arrangements: Hybrid, 50% onsite expectation or more depending on business needsIn this role you will: 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.Translate technical, sensory, and consumer data into insights that influence business decisions, brand strategy, and pricing/revenue management — particularly important given current green coffee commodity volatility and tariff exposure.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.Champion consumer-driven innovation across generations and multicultural segments, supporting Café Bustelo's category-leading growth and Folgers' relevance with next generation consumer segments.Support business continuity, productivity, and continuous improvement in partnership with our enterprise Transformation Office, contributing to margin recovery and supply chain resilience.What we are looking for: Minimum requirements:Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Chemical Engineering, or a ...