Job Description:As stated in the Land O'Lakes Job Posting policy, all employees who post for an internal opening must inform their current manager at the time they apply.
Our growth relies on our extraordinary talent. Unlock your greatest potential at Land O'Lakes by continuing to make a difference, driving results and growing your career.
R&D Technical Manager - Enterprise Cheese
The Technical Manager will lead our Cheese Technologist team, providing both people leadership and technical expertise. As part of a fully integrated cross-functional team, the Technical Manager will collaborate closely with Packaging R&D, Processing R&D, Culinary, Tech Services, Sourcing, Quality, Engineering, Marketing, and Operations. This role is dual focused on project execution, ensuring the successful delivery of key development projects and generating a pipeline of new ideas, as well as people leadership, including onboarding, development opportunities, project guidance, and performance reviews. The Technical Manager will oversee five technologist direct reports across both the Natural and Process Cheese & Sauces teams.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES Act as a key Product R&D resource for one or more business units Develop product from benchtop through commercialization to meet customer/consumer requirements Build strong relationships with key functional partners in order to support new product launches and other key initiatives Proactively lead collaboration with cross-functional partners to determine product innovation and cost savings opportunities Conduct and/or manage benchtop, pilot plant, plant trials and lab testing, and analyses to validate and advance technical/product opportunities Provide effective communication and documentation of work (including technical testing plans, plant trial and lab reports, specifications, ELN, and team updates) Apply scientific principles and statistics to solve problems and make data-based decisions Build and leverage depth of food science knowledge to drive innovation and margin improvements Collaborate and influence both internally and externally Provide coaching and technical guidance for employees while helping to remove project hurdles Understand employee's IDPs and provide development opportunities Provide feedback on employees' performances (both informal and formal feedback) Navigate unique dynamics of both Natural and Process Cheese teams and their projects Help develop a culture of innovation and technical rigor within R&D Fully onboard new employees, as needed Assist Process Cheese & Sauces Manager in determining project support capacity in P2P
QUALIFICATIONS Bachelor's degree, or higher, in Food Science or relevant degree - required Master's degree - preferred 5 or more years related work experience - required. Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office Suites to include Word, Excel and Powerpoint - required Power BI and Minitab system experience - preferred People leadership experience is highly preferred Technical knowledge of Process Cheese and/or strong desire to expand product knowledge Ability to lead multiple projects in a cross-functional environment while delivering significant results Desire to challenge the status quo in order to discover new approaches Ability to effectively communicate and influence team members Desire to develop and coach others Self-starter with a high degree of initiative; works with a sense of urgency Strong conflict management skills
Salary range: $91,120 - $136,680 (in most cases, candidates offered employment can expect to be hired at a pay rate near the middle of our salary ranges)
Grade:
E11
To apply please click on APPLY TO THIS POSITION
Job Post Date: 07/09/25
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