Bel, makers of iconic cheese brands including Babybel, The Laughing Cow, and Boursin, is a growing global company that values your contributions, strives to create a sense of belonging for everyone and offers career growth and development opportunities, as well as competitive total compensation and meaningful well-being benefits from day one. For All, For Good, our company signature, reflects Bel’s commitment to sustainability and healthier and responsible food for all. Bel Brands USA has been named Chicago's "101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For" for 10 years in a row. The company is headquartered in Chicago and operates three manufacturing plants in Little Chute, WI, Leitchfield, KY, and Brookings, SD.
Job Description Summary
The Product Development Manager is part of the global Research Innovation and Development (RID) team and will be responsible for driving innovation and renovation projects for the Boursin brand in the US by developing Boursin cheese recipes and processes. This role requires strong knowledge in cheese or food science & technology, formulation, food manufacturing, quality, and project management. The position involves taking products from initial concept to production, ensuring they align with the brand’s guidelines and innovation strategy. Additionally, the role requires close collaboration with various internal and external partners to achieve project goals. This is a hybrid role (2-3 days/week in office) based in our Chicago Loop office.
Key Responsibilities:
Product Development:
- Develops products from initial concept to production ensuring strategy is aligned with Bel’s guidelines and the Brand’s innovation strategy including ingredient selection, formulation, pilot plant trials, chemical, physical and sensory analysis, production scale-up, shelf-life testing to line start-up
- Defines and sets-up a trial plan; processes data and carries out trial reports; shares conclusions and recommendations with project teams
- Ability to create mock-ups of products, relating to ideas or concepts
- Leads identification and technical qualification of new ingredients and/or suppliers
Project Management:
- “End to End" project management: from ideation to production mastering while respecting the stage gate process and delivering the right quality level on time and in full with the best time to market
- Extensive cross-functional teamwork including marketing, purchasing, quality, engineering, finance, co-manufacturers, vendors and customers
- Ability to manage several projects simultaneously
- Leads risk assessments, planning/scheduling and task prioritization
Qualifications and Competencies:
- Dairy Science, Food Science, Food-Process Engineering degree or a related field
- Minimum of 3 years’ experience in the food industry required; dairy experience preferred
- Agile and resilient, with the ability to work effectively in an ambiguous environment alongside internal and external partners
- Must be analytical, detail-oriented with demonstrated ability to multi-task, make decisions and/or take actions to solve a problem or reach a goal
- Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively (oral and written)
- Passion for cheese and innovation
- Appetite for project management
- Proactive and solution-oriented
- Adaptable to various functions and styles, ranging from technical to marketing
- Dynamic and enthusiastic
- Impeccable personal integrity and commitment to ongoing professional development
- Embodies Bel’s core values of Dare, Commit and Care
Performance Expectations: Confidentiality, quality, accuracy, timeliness, reliability, and thoroughness of work performed; ability to gain the trust and respect of management, coworkers; maintain the integrity of confidential business and product information; ability to communicate effectively and develop good working relationships with other employees is essential to accomplish goals and objectives of the RID Department.
Physical & Travel requirements
Work is performed in a hybrid office environment (2-3 days/week in office). Hours of work will generally be during regular business hours with at least 40 hours a week. At times there will be some variation in work hours due to special projects, deadlines and other concerns.
Travel: Up to 20% travel may be expected nationally. Periodic travel internationally may be expected.
Total Rewards:
Base Salary: $95,000 - 100,000
Bonus Potential: 12%
401k, Medical, Dental, Vision from Day One, PTO days and more
Bel Brands is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, disability status or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Bel Brands also prohibits harassment of applicants or employees based on any of these protected categories. It is also Bel Brand's policy to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws respecting consideration of unemployment status in making hiring decisions.
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