Senior Director, Disruptive Innovation

Join the Global Cheese Business Unit at Leprino Foods in Denver as our Senior Director of Disruptive Innovation and be a pivotal force in driving our cheese operations to unprecedented heights of growth and innovation. We are committed to our ambition of being recognized as 'world's best', which drives us to work harder, invest smarter, and relentlessly pursue groundbreaking innovations. As the Vice President of Disruptive Innovation, you will lead our efforts in creating transformative strategies and solutions that reshape the future of the cheese industry. Bring your visionary leadership, technical expertise, and passion for continuous improvement to a role where your contributions will have a lasting impact on our global business and the wider cheese market.

 

For specific details regarding the compensation range and bonus structure for this position, candidates are encouraged to reach out to Iassen Donov, Head of Talent Acquisition at Leprino Foods, directly at idonov@leprinofoods.com for comprehensive information on the competitive package offered for this position.

 

Candidates Please Note: This is not a product development/commercialization position. This role is exclusive to the innovative development of new cheese manufacturing processes and technologies that may or may not exist in the market today!

 

The Things We’ll Ask of You:

• Research, develop, and implement groundbreaking new and innovative cheese-making technologies that may not exist in the market. It’s important to note that this is not a product innovation or commercialization position!
• Proactively formulate and integrate strategies for the development of new products, processes, tools, and potentially ingredients, with the goal of revolutionizing our cheese business operations.
• Identify, evaluate, and incorporate cutting-edge tools, ingredients, and processes, while rigorously upholding regulatory standards and food safety protocols.
• Lead and inspire innovation across the organization, ensuring alignment with Leprino’s vision and global strategy.
• Spearhead the development of disruptive innovations within our mozzarella manufacturing to create long-term competitive advantages in cost, performance, ingredients, process, and capacity.
• Collaborate closely with key stakeholders, including the EVP of the Cheese Business Unit, VP of Innovation, and the SVP of Technical Services, to ensure technical and operational feasibility of innovative solutions.
• Utilize extensive knowledge in dairy science and cheese manufacturing to inform innovative strategies and processes.
• Drive significant improvement in Leprino’s Return on Investment Capital (ROIC) by crafting and implementing strategies that establish a long-term competitive edge, addressing critical aspects such as cost efficiency, product performance, innovative ingredient use, process optimization, and capacity expenditure.
• Spearhead the ideation and development of groundbreaking innovations in the dairy industry, welcoming and nurturing ideas from diverse sources.
• Manage and oversee innovative open-source strategies and tactics, ensuring effective coordination and protection of Intellectual Property rights.

 

You Have At Least (Required Qualifications):

• While a Master’s degree is mandatory, specifically in chemical engineering, process engineering, food science, dairy science, or dairy chemistry, we typically find that candidates with a Ph.D. in these areas are more likely to succeed in this