Director - Research and Development
Company: Clemens Food Group
Location: Hatfield
Posted on: January 2, 2026
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Job Description:
Job Details Description Why Join Clemens Food Group as Director,
R&D? This is your opportunity to lead a high-impact,
high-visibility R&D function at the heart of Clemens’ growth
engine. You’ll shape product innovation and optimization across
branded and private label portfolios—while developing the team and
systems to support long-term scale. The Impact You’ll Make You’ll
lead both the R&D Innovation and Optimization teams, delivering
new product success and enhancing existing product performance.
Your work will directly influence company growth through customer
wins, operational efficiency, and breakthrough innovation in pork
quality. What You’ll Do Lead technical strategy and execution for
R&D innovation and optimization Define and align project
accountability structures with Commercialization, Marketing, and
Ops Manage high-profile technical initiatives and build
cross-functional partnerships Oversee benchtop and
commercialization pipelines Integrate customer feedback, vendor
partnerships, and internal insight into rapid innovation Manage
team development, succession planning, and structure evaluation
Oversee KPI scorecard and portfolio health metrics What Makes This
Role Exciting Drive innovation across pork products and private
label lines Play a key role in Clemens’ advancement via M&A,
new product growth, and systems modernization Lead a talented
technical team and build a forward-looking R&D function Serve
as the technical face of Clemens in high-stakes internal and
customer-facing discussions What We’re Looking For Proven R&D
leadership (10 years), preferably in protein or meat Track record
of managing cross-functional product development at scale Deep
knowledge of regulatory, food safety, commercialization, and cost
optimization Experience working across branded and private label
categories High-level communication and influence skills—internally
and externally Willingness to do both Strategic R&D work and
cover a trial/first production with the team on the plant floor. A
driven leader with a hunger to develop the team and push to hit
deliverables through obstacles Skills & Mindset Strategic thinker
with strong operational follow-through Confident technical
communicator and people leader Comfortable managing complexity in a
fast-paced environment Growth mindset with a passion for continuous
improvement Your Future at Clemens This is more than a leadership
role it’s a chance to build the R&D capability of tomorrow.
Shape our innovation, coach our people, and lead with purpose.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with
Disabilities This employer is required to notify all applicants of
their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further
information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the
Department of Labor.
Keywords: Clemens Food Group, North Bergen , Director - Research and Development, PR / Public Relations , Hatfield, New Jersey
