Senior Manager, R&D Capabilities and Excellence

Summary

The Senior Manager, R&D Capabilities and Excellence plays a pivotal role in shaping how the R&D organization operates, grows, and delivers results. This role strengthens foundational capabilities, elevates execution discipline, and builds the systems, tools, and practices that enable efficient, scalable, and high‑quality innovation. As a trusted leadership partner to the Director of R&D, the Senior Manager provides the expertise, reliability, strategic insight, and operational structure needed to translate vision into sustained, repeatable success. The successful candidate will help define and enhance the R&D operating model, drive continuous improvement, and build a strong, capable and future‑ready R&D team.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop scientists, researchers, and technicians.
• Create a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning.
• Support career development and skill‑building to expand team capabilities.
• Promote flexibility of resources across categories to ensure exposure and growth.

R&D Capabilities & Excellence Leadership

• Develop and implement the R&D capability roadmap to strengthen long‑term technical depth and functional maturity.
• Build and enhance the R&D operating model, including governance, workflows, documentation standards, and execution frameworks.
• Drive portfolio visibility and performance management using standardized tools, metrics, and reporting dashboards.
• Lead knowledge management discipline by ensuring consistent documentation, trial learnings capture, and process repeatability.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement, technical rigor, and disciplined execution across the R&D function.

Project Execution & Delivery

• Ensure project execution contributes to building the long‑term vision for the R&D organization.
• Ensure timely and high‑quality execution of projects across the R&D portfolio.
• Translate innovation project plans into actionable execution deliverables in partnership with cross‑functional teams.
• Oversee resource allocation and capacity planning to maximize team effectiveness.
• Monitor project progress, remove barriers, and manage risks to delivery.
• Act as liaison between R&D execution and Operations, ensuring smooth transfer of knowledge and implementation of new technologies.
• Collaborate closely with Principal Scientists on project prioritization and resource planning.
• Build strong relationships with Quality, Engineering, and other enabling functions to support seamless project execution.

Systems & Process Excellence

• Ensure the execution team has the right tools, systems, and processes to deliver consistently.
• Drive improvements in lab and pilot operations to enhance efficiency and impact.
• Strengthen standardization, documentation, and knowledge management within the execution team.

Qualifications & Competencies

• Bachelor’s degree in science, engineering, business, or related discipline (advanced degree is an asset).
• 8–10 years of experience in project management and stakeholder collaboration within R&D, operations, or technical environments.
• Demonstrated success in building systems, stakeholder engagement, people leadership, coaching, and developing teams.
• Strong organizational and planning skills; PMP certification preferred.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills with both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Knowledge of the dairy or food industry is an asset but not required.

Gay Lea Foods is a leading Canadian dairy co‑operative renowned for producing high‑quality, nutritious dairy products that Canadian families love and trust. From farm to table, our 1,200 farmer members in Ontario and Manitoba, and more than 1,200 employees across four provinces, work together to nourish communities through award‑winning brands including Gay Lea, Nordica, Salerno, Bothwell Cheese, and more. As part of its deeply rooted, balanced commitment to people, profit, and planet, Gay Lea Foods proudly invests one percent of pre‑tax earnings back into Canadian communities through a national food security partnership with Second Harvest, and the community‑building efforts of the Gay Lea Foundation. To learn more, visit gayleafoods.com.

Gay Lea Foods is an equal‑opportunity employer and values diversity in our workplace.

Reasonable accommodation is available upon request throughout our recruitment and selection process.

Gay Lea Foods may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support aspects of the recruitment process, including screening and assessment.

We are currently accepting applications for this open position.

Thank you for your interest in Gay Lea Foods.

Wishing you all the best with your career search!