Director of Innovation

TITLE: Director of Innovation, Texture Solutions

LOCATION: Bridgewater, NJ

Ingredion is hiring a Director of Innovation for our Texture Solutions business segment. The Director of Innovation will be part of the Growth Portfolio Team and and Texture Solutions Food Leadership Team. As Director, you will lead cross-functional teams in providing technology, ingredients, and knowledge solutions to deliver on the winning aspirations for our Texture Solutions business segment.

Core responsibilities include:

Shaping the winning aspiration

As part of the business segment leadership team, you will shape the winning aspiration(s) for the segment.

• Be part of the Texture Solutions leadership team that will define the strategic direction and key program/projects to drive growth or improve operating margins via new product/process innovation and ingredient solutions in targeted market and application segments.
• Be a recognized expert and key contact at important global and/or regional customers to drive innovation and meet their specific needs.
• Be well networked in the industry and able to leverage relationships to drive innovation. Be active in key technical organizations and regularly leading symposiums or giving presentations at industry events.

Owning an innovation portfolio for where to play and how to win

You will shape, sponsor and own innovation projects and programs that will enable where we want to play and how we want to win!

• Own the development of the segment’s Innovation agenda and project pipeline. Manage the delivery of innovative solutions through a portfolio of projects.
• Work with appropriate business development leads, regional go-to-market members and key Innovation personnel to support global roll out of new products ensuring successful product launches.
• Coordinate the assessment of Intellectual Property potential and communicate key challenges and opportunities to the business.
• Develop/ support development of justification for capital investments to support new technical capabilities being implemented in Innovation.
• Ensure regular communication of the portfolio and project evolution to global stakeholders as part of innovation review processes.

Identifying critical innovation capabilities required for success

You will identify the key enabling innovation capabilities that will be required to succeed and champion us!

• Keep up to date with key technologies and developments in the food industry to ensure the team is equipped with the best knowledge and has access to relevant external expertise, technical institutes, and facilities.
• Lead, coach, influence, and guide assigned Innovation teams to consistently deliver upon challenging technical and business goals. Assess team’s functional and technical capabilities, identify key performance gaps, and develop and execute improvement plans to address development needs.
• Working with appropriate line managers, define key yearly objectives for inclusion in our performance management system. Actively participate in talent development discussions with line managers for members of the innovation community.

Leveraging our enabling management systems to support platform innovation

You will leverage our enabling management systems to support and accelerate innovation, ensuring Texture Solutions projects are resourced for success and appropriately prioritized at the enterprise level.

• Drive an effective project management process, ensuring appropriate skill sets and capabilities are utilized to allow rapid commercialization of new ingredients and solutions, while gaining sufficient insight to apply across a broad range of formulation/ingredient development opportunities and respond to internal/external customers’ needs.

The Director of Innovation position is well-suited for you if you:

• Possess leadership, sound judgement, business acumen, and decision-making authority
• Have a strong technical background in areas relevant to texture
• Can effectively work in a matrixed and highly collaborative organization
• Are comfortable at managing risk, complexity, diversity, and ambiguity
• Are self-motivated and can handle pressure well

Qualified candidates will have:

• PhD/MS degree in food science, chemistry or engineering with 10-n 15+ years of R&D/product development experience. Well-rounded knowledge across R&D/product development categories.
• Broad food ingredient technology knowledge, with specialized knowledge in texture systems, technologies, and processing
• Innovative thinker and ability to implement change through a team of people
• Experience developing and translating strategy into clear objectives and deliverables
• Experience effectively managing teams as well as managing or communicating with multifunctional, multiregional teams and stakeholders.
• Excellent people management (both direct and team based) and coaching ability
• Strong networking & influencing skills and project and time management skills
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills
• Sold interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to interact effectively across all levels of the organization and in a variety of cultures – both internal and external
• Excellent written and oral communication skills. Demonstrated ability to write comprehensive technical reports and deliver technical presentations.
• Expected Travel Approximately 15-25% (regionally and globally)

Ingredion provides accommodations to job applicants with disabilities throughout the hiring process. If a job applicant requires an accommodation during the application process or through the selection process, we will work with the applicant to meet the job applicant's accommodation needs.

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Relocation Available:

Yes, Within Country

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. Ingredion seeks to provide a work environment that is free from harassment and discrimination. We will not tolerate any form of discrimination based on race, color, religion, age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, handicap or disability—mental or physical—marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability resulting from military service, or any other classification protected by law (“protected classifications”). We are committed to establishing and maintaining a work environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

Ingredion provides accommodations to job applicants with disabilities throughout the hiring process. If a job applicant requires an accommodation during the application process or through the selection process, we will work with the applicant to meet the job applicant's accommodation needs.