R&D Product Category Lead - Snacking & New Innovation

About the role

Primo Foods, a smallgoods brand owned by JBS Australia, is looking for an R&D Product Category Lead for its Snacking & New Innovation category. The role owns the innovation, renovation and value creation agenda for the category, leads a team of three R&D professionals and sits on the R&D Leadership Team. It covers NPD, EPD, private label, export and foodservice initiatives, and was created to strengthen project execution, build team capability and accelerate innovation.

Key responsibilities

• Own and deliver the category innovation, renovation and value creation roadmap aligned to business strategy and customer priorities
• Lead, coach and develop a team of three R&D professionals, building a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement
• Drive execution of complex NPD, EPD, private label, export, QSR/foodservice and technology platform projects
• Manage the category project portfolio, including prioritisation, resource allocation and delivery against timelines
• Turn consumer, customer, market and technical insights into commercially viable product opportunities
• Partner with Marketing, Sales, Operations, Quality, Procurement and Supply Chain
• Provide hands-on technical leadership across formulation, trials, scale-up and commercialisation
• Drive cost optimisation, ingredient innovation and process improvement
• Ensure food safety, quality, regulatory and stage-gate governance throughout product development
• Improve R&D processes, capability and efficiency, and represent category priorities in leadership and cross-functional forums

Required profile

• Degree in Food Science, Food Technology or a related food discipline
• Minimum 8 years' experience in R&D, product development and food manufacturing
• Proven experience leading, coaching or mentoring technical teams
• Track record delivering complex product development and commercialisation projects from concept to launch
• Strong stakeholder management and influence across multiple functions
• Curious, solution-focused and commercially minded; exposure to meat processing, meal solutions, snacking or related FMCG categories is highly regarded

What we offer

• Discounts on health insurance and retail partners, and savings at the onsite butcher and deli
• Free onsite parking and access to novated leasing and car rental discounts
• Paid parental leave and discounted travel benefits
• Career growth and development opportunities