Collaborate with some of the best people in the food manufacturing industry!

As a subsidiary of Savencia Fromage and Dairy, a $5 billion global cheese & dairy group headquartered in Paris, France, AFP advanced food products llc, is the world’s foremost manufacturer of aseptically packed sauces, spreads, dips and puddings.  We provide delicious products to global markets. Our three manufacturing facilities, strategically positioned within the United States, provide optimum accessibility to the full line of AFP product offerings.

Our New Holland, Pennsylvania facility is in search of a self-motivated creative candidates to fill the position of Group Leader. This position is accountable to lead multiple business segments, geographical location, and employees in Research and Development.  The Group Leader is a seasoned project and people manager, able to independently manage and develop multiple projects, people on their team, and priorities effectively.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Independently provide leadership and oversight to technical development projects, bringing project management, ingredient, formulation, and commercialization/industrial scale up expertise.
• Comfortable with all aspects of the development process – from engaging with customers on project ideation, translating customer desires to our production and technical capabilities, able to manage multiple priorities independently, proactively identify challenges and recommend solutions, and develop expertise in high speed, aseptic processing plants.  Must be able to travel to multiple sites to conduct trials and scale ups.
• Independently provide leadership, oversight, and development to direct reports.  Responsible for career development of their team while ensuring accountability for establishing and adhering to timelines and milestones.  Able to effectively course correct when deviations to timelines and milestones occur, and effectively communicate to the cross functional team should that occur.
• Able to effectively mentor junior team members with such topics as experimental design, product development, cost control, commercialization, and troubleshooting.  Ability to leverage data to identify issues and subsequently identify and implement corrective actions.  Ability to foster a learning environment which captures and effectively retains knowledge.
• Works well with others and is able to effectively create and maintain a cross functional team working environment.  Has the ability to influence without authority and lead through ambiguity to bring clarity.
• Assumes responsibility for business segment needs i.e., ideation, identify and deliver innovation, participate as the R&D representative at customer business meetings/trade shows.
• Works with cross functional team to ensure all projects are suitably scoped and risks assessed.  Subsequently able to participate in annual planning to establish and adhere to budgets.
• Leads team members by enabling their activities, setting the priorities, developing career path, providing feedback and setting training and development of schedules.
• Some travel required

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

• 4 yr. Degree in Food Science/Physical Sciences.  Experience in a high-speed manufacturing food manufacturing environment and product development.
• Six to ten years of increasing responsibilities experience in Food Development, project management, commercialization, and managing people.
• Aseptic processing and expertise in structuring systems (starches, hydrocolloids, etc.) and/or dairy ingredients is a plus.

AFP offers an attractive compensation and benefit package, including immediate enrollment in the benefits program including medical, dental, vision and 401K with a great company match on the first day of employment.

To apply, please visit our website at www.afpllc.com.  Click on Careers, then AFP Corporate Office and select R&D Group Leader.