Dairy Foods R&D On-Call

Dairy Foods R&D On-Call
Department: Dairy Foods R&D
Reports To: Director, Enterprise Technology / Dairy Foods R&D Leadership
Location: Arden Hills, MN (Hybrid)
Assignment Duration: As needed

Position Summary: The On-Call R&D resource provides flexible leadership and technical support across the Dairy Foods R&D organization, stepping in where needed to maintain continuity on critical projects, capital initiatives, and manufacturing support activities.

This role flexes across functional areas-including process technology, product development, and other R&D disciplines, to fill gaps created by employee leaves of absence or shifting business priorities.

The individual may travel to manufacturing plants to provide on-the-ground technical support and serves as a key point of contact for cross-functional collaboration with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Marketing teams, ensuring critical business, innovation, and project work continues without disruption.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Resource Management


* Provide day-to-day leadership and prioritization for the Process Technology team.


* Coordinate workload, project assignments, and technical support activities.


* Facilitate team meetings, project reviews, and leadership communications.


* Ensure timely escalation of risks, resource constraints, and business impacts.


* Support employee development and coaching as needed during the interim coverage period.

Technical Leadership


* Provide technical oversight for dairy process technologies


* Review and approve technical recommendations and process designs.


* Ensure application of sound engineering and dairy science principles.

Innovation & Commercialization


* Support commercialization of new products, ingredients, and processing technologies.


* Partner with R&D teams to manage pilot, scale-up, and plant implementation activities.


* Ensure successful transfer of technology from development to production.


* Drive execution of strategic innovation programs and technical workstreams.

Manufacturing Support


* Provide technical consultation to manufacturing facilities.


* Support process troubleshooting, yield improvement, and quality enhancement initiatives.


* Lead or participate in cross-functional problem-solving teams.


* Ensure critical manufacturing issues receive prompt technical guidance.

Other responsibilities within the Dairy Foods R&D organization may be requested depending on candidate skill set and organizational requirements.

Qualifications Needed:


* Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Food Science, Dairy Science, or related technical field.


* 15+ years of dairy manufacturing, process engineering, or product development experience.


* Demonstrated knowledge of dairy unit operations and processing technologies.


* Strong project management and cross-functional leadership skills.


* Excellent communication and stake...