Director of R&D | U696

Director of R&D | U696

About Us

Solina Canada, a proud Canadian food manufacturer for over 80 years, provides a full range of high-quality food products for foodservice, retail, healthcare, and industrial use.

We are part of Solina, a leading global partner in the food industry, foodservice, butchery, and nutrition sectors. We design tailor-made ingredient solutions that excel in perfected taste, enhanced nutrition, and optimized functionality, contributing to food that is good in every sense—good for people and good for the planet. Through dynamic partnerships, we bring our creativity to life by aligning with our customers' culinary visions, making “Food Matter.”

The Position

Reporting to the Vice President of Business Innovation,



the Director of R&D; will oversee and prioritize the activities of Solina Canada's R&D; teams, located in Toronto, ON, and Laval, QC. This role involves providing strategic direction for the R&D; team, leading all new and existing product development, harmonizing products and processes across locations, and contributing to the company's growth and success.

This position is for a current vacancy.

Our Benefits

- Bonus: 15%
- Pension Plan: Employer matches up to 5%.
- 5 personal days
- 4 weeks of vacation
- Comprehensive dental care
- Employee assistance program
- Extended health care coverage
- Life and vision insurance
- Casual dress code
- On-site parking

Here are the specific responsibilities that await you:

- Works closely with Leadership, Sales and Culinary teams to develop innovation map and R&D; strategy
- Establishes work prioritization based on customer and business needs, as well as monitors projects and prioritization system for the R&D; team and compiles reporting on KPIs and results;
- Evaluates R&D; progress and results obtained,



and designs and implements changes to achieve objectives;
- Stays up to date on Canadian and US nutrition and labeling laws and regulations and provides direction on new development based on technical expertise and research on new technologies and ingredients;
- Provides customers (internal and external) with technical support and works closely with Sales representatives to support customer conversations and attends meetings and engagements as needed;
- Manages the scale-up and industrialization of new products, ensuring successful and timely launch and performs gap analyses and risk assessments to mitigate and address any challenges;
- Ensures continuous development of the team (via industry events, supplier meetings, etc) and distribution of latest industry information to ensure Solina is a leader in trends and technologies.




- Ensures all laboratory functions are conducted as per the overall quality/food safety programs, including various certifications and customer requirements (Kosher, Halal, etc). Supports during audits as needed;
- Manages department budget, staff performance and ensures team is supported through learning, mentorship, guidance and novel opportunities;
- Leads and coordinates ongoing trainings for the R&D; team and other departments to ensure shared knowledge and up-skilling of all departments;
- Works with all cross-functional departments to develop new or change processes, identify and resolve system gaps or product issues, and support the growth of Solina Canada;
- Works closely with R&D; leaders across Solina as required to share knowledge, enhance customer experience, improve speed to market, and further develop the teams.



Support global Solina initiatives at a local level.
- Plays a key role in selecting R&D; projects eligible for SR&ED; credits and in writing reports so that claims can be submitted to the CRA;
- Demonstrates the Solina Way behaviours;
- Ensure the application of the company's policies and procedures in terms of research and development, including health & safety considerations.

The ideal skills to meet the challenge are:

- Minimum 10 years of experience in R&D; in the field of liquid and powder foods, combined with a minimum of 5 years of management experience, including driving innovation;
- Must understand how to develop dry and wet products
- Ability to work cross-functionally and collaborate with internal stakeholders;
- Able to adapt in a rapid changing and growth environment;




- Strong project management skills and ability to report on KPI’s using different programs – experience with Salesforce an asset;
- Effective communication skills in English; Bilingual (English/French) is preferred;
- Able to travel within Canada, US and Europe (10-15%);
- Aware of current industry trends (ingredients, technology, flavours);
- Culinary experience an asset. Structured, organized and results-oriented.

Diversity and Inclusion

At Solina Canada, a division of Solina, we offer a workplace free from all forms of discrimination and we advocate equal opportunities. We emphasize the diversity of our people and their unique experiences. An inclusive and welcoming work environment fosters a healthier and more productive business. This philosophy is one of the keys to our success.

Position : Director R&D;

Location : Toronto, 72 Railside Rd, North York ON M3A 1A3

The original job offer can be found in Kit Job:
https://www.kitjob.ca/job/90138314/director-rd-u696-north-york/?utm_source=html