Senior Director of Research and Development

Job Description

Job Description

Summary of Position :

The Senior Director of Research and Development is a high-impact leadership role responsible for driving the company’s R&D and Innovation strategy across all categories, with a primary focus on Pizza and an additional emphasis on Frozen Breakfast. Reporting directly to the Chief Growth Officer, this leader plays a critical dual role : working in real time to deliver explosive near-term Pizza wins across all sales channels, while simultaneously advancing long-term Innovation platforms that secure sustainable growth. This individual oversees the technical design and execution of the R&D and Innovation pipeline, ensuring new product development is insights-driven, operationally feasible, and commercially successful. While the Director, Category Management – Pizza provides category insights, customer alignment, and market strategy, the Senior Director of R&D leads the product creation, technical feasibility, and commercialization. Together, the two roles ensure the Pizza portfolio is both market-relevant and technically executable.

Direct Reports : Director of R&D, Pizza Technician, Frozen Breakfast Technician

Key Responsibilities :

R&D and Innovation Leadership

• In partnership with the Director, Category Management – Pizza, co-define the company-wide R&D and Innovation strategy, balancing near-term Pizza growth with long-term category development. - Lead the technical design, development, and execution of new products across Pizza, Frozen Breakfast, and emerging categories. - Build and manage the Innovation pipeline, ensuring projects are technically feasible, scalable, and aligned with customer needs. - Drive breakthrough ideation and product design while ensuring alignment with commercial strategies provided by Category Management. - Champion a culture of curiosity, agility, and Innovation excellence across R&D and technical teams.

Product Development & Commercialization Oversight

Cross-Functional Leadership

strategies.

commercial positioning and R&D ensuring technical credibility.

production scalability.

Strategic Growth Impact

platforms.

support future category growth.

Qualifications

Education and Experience :

frozen or bakery categories.

across multiple channels.

Skills & Competencies :

feasibility.

Management, Sales, and Marketing.

Success Measures :