Requisition ID: 42151

Job Description

In every role, McCainers are ambitious, curious, and passionate about creating exceptional work experiences – together. With a customer-first mindset, we make doing business with McCain easy.

About the role.

Lead the development, validation, and scale-up of innovative food technologies and processes within a transformational R&D environment. Operate at the intersection of Desirability, Viability, and Feasibility (DVF) to ensure ideas are translated into scalable, manufacturable, and economically viable solutions. Define and translate critical product and process attributes into clear technical and equipment requirements to deliver successful business outcomes. Success is measured by decision quality, risk reduction, and value creation.

What you’ll be doing.

• Lead technology development projects from ideation through proof of concept, pilot, and scale-up
• Design and execute experiments to identify and retire key technical and scale-up risks early
• Validate processes for efficiency, quality, food safety, and manufacturability
• Translate technical learnings into clear go / no-go / pivot recommendations
• Define critical process attributes and convert them into equipment and system requirements
• Integrate process science with manufacturing realities, cost, capital, and supply considerations
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Operations, Engineering, Commercial, Finance, Quality, and external partners
• Connect technical decisions to business value, including cost, margin, and risk implications
• Prepare and present technical documentation, insights, and recommendations to stakeholders
• Own technical workstreams with clear milestones, learning objectives, and exit criteria
• Mentor junior team members and help elevate technical capability across the organization
• Act as a subject matter expert (SME) in a defined technical area (e.g., coatings, thermal processing)

 
What you’ll need to be successful.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Food Science, Chemical Engineering, Food Engineering, or a related field
• 5–8+ years of experience in process development, scale-up, or manufacturing environments
• Proven project leadership with demonstrated delivery of measurable business outcomes
• Experience working with early-stage or novel technologies is strongly preferred
• Strong knowledge of food safety, quality, regulatory requirements, and industrial process design
• Hands-on experience taking concepts through proof of concept and pilot-scale development
• Familiarity with intellectual property considerations, external partnerships, and contract frameworks
• Recognized expertise as a subject matter expert in a defined technical area
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and systems-thinking capabilities
• Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous environments with a DVF mindset
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and stakeholder engagement skills
• High ownership, accountability, and organizational effectiveness

 
About the team.

• The Applied Technology & Innovation (ATI) team is a cross-functional R&D group focused on developing and scaling next-generation food technologies for McCain. The team works closely with Manufacturing, Engineering, Commercial, Quality, Finance, and external partners to translate innovation into real-world impact. This role serves as a technical leader within the team, helping to advance capabilities while mentoring and supporting the growth of others.

 
About McCain.

• Click Here to learn more about McCain and how we provide opportunities to make an impact that matters.

Leadership principles.

At McCain, our leadership principles guide how we engage with customers, collaborate as a team, and achieve success. We focus on understanding customer needs, driving innovation, empowering people, and taking ownership to clear obstacles and deliver results.
 

The McCain experience.

At McCain, you’ll be part of a global organization that values collaboration, curiosity, and continuous improvement. We offer a supportive, inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are encouraged and professional growth is prioritized. McCain’s hybrid work model provides flexibility while fostering strong team connections, enabling employees to do their best work and build meaningful careers.

Compensation Package: $85,500.00 - $114,000.00 . CAD annually + Bonus Eligibility 

The above reflects the target compensation range for the position at the time of posting. Hiring compensation will be determined based on experience, skill set, education and training, and other organizational needs. This posting is for an existing vacancy.