Director, IT Business Partner, R&D, Food Safety, Quality, Sustainability

Rich’s, also known as Rich Products Corporation, is a family-owned food company dedicated to inspiring possibilities. From cakes and icings to pizza, appetizers and specialty toppings, our products are used in homes, restaurants and bakeries around the world. Beyond great food, our customers also gain insights to help them stay competitive, no matter their size. Our portfolio includes creative solutions geared at helping food industry professionals compete in foodservice, retail, in-store bakery, deli, and prepared foods, among others. Working in 100 locations globally, with annual sales exceeding $4 billion, Rich’s is a global leader with a focus on everything that family makes possible. Rich’s®—Infinite Possibilities. One Family.

Job Summary

The IT Business Partner, Director, IT Business Partner, R&D, Food Safety, Quality, Sustainability, reports to the VP IT Enterprise Functions. This role will be a partner with Rich’s Research,  Innovation, Compliance (RIC) and Generations of Good (Sustainability) leadership team to drive our digital capabilities at Rich's. This role is responsible for managing the relationship between the IT department and the business units it serves; integrating demand, relationship and performance management into the technology strategy of the future. This includes understanding and influencing the business needs and goals, developing and implementing IT strategies to support those goals, and ensuring effective communication and collaboration between IT and the business. This role also oversees the development and management of the ideation, intake and prioritization stages of IT projects and initiatives and partners with the IT delivery organization to deliver capabilities, ensuring they align with the overall business strategy and deliver value to the organization. Additionally, this role may be responsible for managing a team of IT professionals and ensuring they have the necessary skills and resources to support the business.

Key Accountabilities and Outcomes

•    Lead R&D Technology strategy across Product Lifecycle Management, Labs Systems, Quality Management Systems (QMS), Safety, Environmental Management Systems, Sustainability, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, company policies and operating procedures, and other regulatory requirements.
•    Develop and maintain an R&D governance model that holds key metrics accountable and demonstrates alignment between all organizational functions and resources.
•    Together with the Enterprise Architecture team, harmonizes and determines best practices for RIC/GOG business systems (design controls, lean methodology, knowledge management, etc.) that will facilitate a best-in-class application framework.
•    Provide technical support across the sites and to customers. Resolve issues by assuming ownership of significant technical problems, influencing affected stakeholders, and helping to select and implement solutions that meet the overall team’s goal.
•    Collaborates with colleagues across the organization and drives standard policies and practices across RIC, GOG and IT groups; collaborates cross-functionally to ensure achievement of strategic imperatives for the Product Category and site and function metrics.
•    Drive the creation and execution of strategic technology roadmaps, including responsibility for all technology initiatives supporting the strategic RIC/GOG business plan. Works closely with other departments to ensure proper implementation. Create a strategic technology roadmap that permits the RIC/GOG team to unleash its full potential.
•    Ensure the timely completion and proper prioritization of RIC/GOG initiatives on budget.
•    Assist in developing a high-performance RIC/GOG technology team that thinks, acts, and influences the organization by utilizing a common process and working toward a common goal.
•    Provide technical input to the Strategic Growth Teams identifying technology trends and market dynamics, technology roadmap, and manufacturing strategies.

Knowledge, Experience and Skills

• Minimum Education: Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related discipline. A master’s degree in business or additional class work in business management is desirable.
• Minimum Experience: 12+ years of experience in a technical management role in an R&D environment with a minimum of 10 years related to leveraging technology.
• Experience in food industry or pharmaceuticals,  which includes substantial experience in R&D, New Product Development, Product Commercialization, Project Management and/or product/process improvement experience.
• Ability to interact with and influence senior executives. Ability to partner with cross-functional organizations to drive the technology strategy successfully. Proven experience evaluating new technology.
• Excellent communication skills, internal and external (customer-focused).
• Excellent leadership, interpersonal, communication, presentation, and collaborative team-building skills. Ability to plan and make technological judgments and decisions.
• Demonstrated creative thinker; ability to see the "big picture" and synthesize and communicate innovation strategies delivering on company goals.
• Proven ability to manage complex projects and cross-functional teams and deliver results in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment.
• Experience in product life cycle management system implementations required

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COMPENSATION

In accordance with state law, the rate or range provided is Rich Products Corporation, its subsidiaries and affiliates ("Rich's"), reasonable estimate of the base compensation for this role. The actual amount may be higher or lower, based on non-discriminatory factors such as experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, shift differential, and location.

Annual Range/Hourly Rate

$154,800.00 - $258,000.00

Rich Products Corporation, its subsidiaries and affiliates (“Rich’s”), are committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability, veteran or military status, genetic information, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state, or local law. The information collected by this application is solely to determine suitability for employment, verify identity, and maintain employment statistics on applicants.

Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws. A reasonable accommodation is a change in the way things are normally done which will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing undue hardship on Rich’s. Please contact Rich’s Human Resources department at hrhelp@rich.com if you need assistance completing this application or to otherwise participate in the application process.