Director, R&D – Digital Transformation

Job description

​​Own the R&D digital transformation agenda. Translate organizational ambition into a phased, prioritized strategic roadmap, defining required capabilities, sequencing investments, and securing senior leadership alignment and resources.

Connect the roadmap directly to enterprise value

top-line growth, productivity, sustainability commitments, and time-to-market competitiveness. ​Own organizational design for the NA Digital R&D team. Define the target-state team structure, capability architecture, and workforce plan required to operate at scale. Determine the optimal mix of internal talent, external hires, and strategic partners. Establish hiring profiles and development pathways for a multidisciplinary team spanning data science, ML engineering, and R&D domain expertise, including but not limited to Product Development, Consumer Science, Process and Package Development. ​Lead integration of legacy PLM, ELN, and LIMS systems into a cohesive data platform in partnership with R&D Transformation.

Define governance protocols ensuring ingredient specifications, packaging tolerances, sensory data, and process parameters share a universal taxonomy. Establish the data quality standards and ingestion pipelines required to power reliable AI and predictive analytics at scale. ​Lead development and deployment of physics/engineering/chem-based simulation, machine learning, and generative AI models that predict consumer acceptance/behaviors, formulation performance, process behavior, shelf-life, and packaging integrity prior to physical trials.

Define MLOps infrastructure and model governance practices to move from proof-of-concept to production-grade tools. Guide build-vs-buy decisions for digital R&D platforms in partnership with IT ​Design and operationalize a scalable Hub-and-Spoke engagement model enabling rapid, repeatable adoption of digital tools across Central and Platform R&D teams. Establish workflows, decision rights, and governance mechanisms to support effective collaboration across geographies and disciplines. ​Recruit, develop, and retain professionals who can translate between scientific problem statements and digital solutions.

Champion digital fluency across the broader R&D organization through training, embedded Spoke partnerships, and storytelling that connects digital tools to commercial outcomes. ​Serve as the senior advocate for digital R&D transformation. Build cross-functional coalitions with R&D, Operations, IT, Marketing, and Quality. Drive adoption through proof-of-concept delivery, measurable value creation, and consistent executive engagement. ​ Team (salaried): 2 to 4 direct reports. ​​Bachelor's degree in engineering, data science, computer science, food science, or a related technical field with 17 years of relevant experience OR Master's degree with 16 years of relevant experience OR PhD with 15 years of relevant experience ​12+ years leading digital, analytics, or advanced technology initiatives within R&D, manufacturing, or product development, with demonstrated growth in scope and organizational impact ​Proven track record defining , not just executing, digital transformation strategy in a complex, matrixed CPG or food & beverage environment ​Demonstrated experience in organizational design and workforce planning: building team structures, hiring roadmaps, and scaling functions from early stage to operational maturity ​Experience managing and interacting in multidisciplinary teams ​Deep technical fluency in one or more of the following: food science, product development, chemical/mechanical engineering, and/or packaging development ​Strong foundational knowledge of machine learning, generative AI, computational modeling, and modern data architecture (data lakes, data mesh, MLOps) ​Familiarity with R&D enterprise systems (PLM, ELN, LIMS) and associated data interoperability challenges ​Ability to define a compelling transformation vision and connect R&D capability directly to enterprise value ​Skilled at navigating legacy corporate cultures, aligning cross-functional stakeholders, and establishing clear decision rights over data governance and digital protocols ​Entrepreneurial orientation: comfortable with ambiguity, building from scratch, and making sound decisions with incomplete information ​Executive presence sufficient to influence at the senior executive level and represent the digital R&D agenda with external partners and industry peers​