Creative Flavors R&D Manager Candidate

SEEKING A ROLE AS: Sr. R&D professional for a small or mid-sized food processing company in the R&D/Food Science business sector.

IN LOCATION: Currently living in California. Willing to Relocate: Yes. Worksite Preference: Onsite, Hybrid Onsite/Remote Combination.

SKILLS & ACHIEVEMENTS:
An R&D/Food Science innovation leader with deep expertise in CPG/Food & Beverage product development—driving new product platforms, reformulations, and technology implementation from concept through commercialization. Proven ability to build high-performing teams, manage complex innovation roadmaps, and deliver measurable commercial impact across dairy, plant-based, and functional beverage categories.
• Years of experience in industry: 20 Years of experience in food and beverage processing environment
• CATEGORY skills: product innovation lifecycle management; project & process management; budget & KPI metrics management; pipeline development & commercialization; team development & cross-functional leadership; co-manufacturer collaboration & planning
• Team leadership: managed direct reports (including teams of 2 scientists and 1 technician; and teams of 3 scientists and 2 technicians)
• Business impact (revenue/volume metrics):
o Delivered foodservice and retail revenue of $300M+ (oat milk market share leadership)
o Supported $100M oat milk equipment line installation and commissioning
o Managed 30+ new product development initiatives with $50M annual sales responsibility
o Contributed to $440K savings (2020–2021)

EDUCATION:
MASTERS – SCIENCE in research focus
BACHELORS – ENGINEERING

COMPENSATION: Seeking a base salary in the $155,000 range plus incentives, aligned with cost of living and scope of responsibility.

If you are interested in speaking with this R&D/Food Science leader who:
• Is looking to lead a research & product innovation team
• Is looking to help you build and launch high-performing food and beverage innovation pipelines—applying the same end-to-end product development process, cross-functional execution, and commercialization discipline used for past employers
• Is capable of delivering measurable growth through consumer-focused innovation, technology implementation, and budget/KPI-driven execution then …

send Rob Navarro a job description at robn@kinsa.com to engage this candidate with.
Contact:
Rob Navarro
RobN@kinsa.com
Worksite Preference:Onsite, Hybrid Onsite/Remote Combination
Employment Preference:Permanent