Head of Technical Services

Are you a technical leader with deep expertise in food manufacturing, beverage processing, product commercialization, and process development? Do you enjoy taking innovative products from the lab to full-scale production while partnering across R&D, Engineering, Quality, Operations, and Commercial teams?

We're seeking a Head of Technical Services to lead product industrialization, product scale-up, and process optimization across the United States and Canada. Supporting both the company's core fruit business and expanding beverage, ice cream, dairy, and other food categories, this executive leadership role is responsible for ensuring new and existing products are successfully commercialized while meeting customer expectations, regulatory requirements, operational excellence, quality, food safety, and profitability goals.

This is an outstanding opportunity to influence the technical strategy of a growing, innovation-driven food manufacturing organization while leading a high-performing Technical Services team and partnering with leaders across Product Development, Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, and Operations.

What You'll Do

As the Head of Technical Services, you will:

• Lead all product industrialization, commercialization, and product scale-up activities from pilot through full-scale manufacturing.
• Drive successful product scale-up across fruit, beverage, ice cream, dairy, and other food applications while ensuring manufacturing processes consistently deliver quality, food safety, efficiency, and cost objectives.
• Partner closely with New Product Development, Engineering, Quality, Plant Operations, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing to successfully commercialize new products from formulation through full-scale production.
• Develop robust manufacturing processes that consistently meet product specifications, customer expectations, food safety requirements, and operational performance goals.
• Establish and standardize Technical Services operating procedures across multiple manufacturing facilities to ensure product consistency and manufacturing excellence.
• Lead process optimization initiatives that improve product performance, manufacturing efficiency, operational reliability, and cost effectiveness.
• Monitor existing product performance and implement continuous improvements that maximize quality, productivity, and operational robustness.
• Provide technical expertise and support to customers, manufacturing teams, and internal stakeholders throughout the commercialization process.
• Oversee product trials, validation activities, manufacturing readiness, equipment commissioning, and plant implementation for new product launches.
• Validate and commission formulations, manufacturing processes, and production equipment while supporting plant trials using sound scientific principles and engineering best practices.
• Work collaboratively with Operations to optimize formulations, manufacturing processes, operating parameters, and equipment performance.
• Ensure compliance with ISO 9000, FSSC 22000, HACCP, food safety standards, regulatory requirements, and company quality systems while supporting continuous improvement initiatives.
• Build, mentor, and develop a team of Technical Managers and Technical Specialists while fostering collaboration and professional growth.
• Serve as a key member of Operations Leadership, Food Safety, Safety, Customer Business, and Global Technical teams, providing strategic technical leadership across the organization.

What We're Looking For

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemical Engineering, or a related scientific discipline.
• 10+ years of leadership experience within food, beverage, ingredient, dairy, or pharmaceutical manufacturing.
• Extensive experience leading Product Commercialization, Product Industrialization, Product Scale-Up, Process Development, Manufacturing Optimization, and Technical Services within food manufacturing environments.
• Strong background in beverage manufacturing, formulation development, process optimization, technology selection, and product commercialization.
• Experience partnering across Operations, Quality Assurance, Engineering, Technical Services, Manufacturing, and Research & Development.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional technical projects from concept through commercialization.
• Strong project management, analytical, communication, and leadership skills.
• Ability to build strong partnerships with customers, internal stakeholders, and manufacturing teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Food Science, Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Experience supporting dairy, foodservice, beverage, or ingredient manufacturing.
• Strong scientific knowledge of ingredient functionality and interactions, including thickening and gelling agents, colors, flavoring ingredients, fruits, sweeteners, dairy ingredients, and functional ingredients.
• Experience with SAP preferred, along with strong working knowledge of ERP systems, Microsoft Office, and manufacturing information systems.
• Knowledge of continuous improvement methodologies and manufacturing best practices.
• Experience supporting multiple manufacturing facilities.

Why This Role Matters

This position sits at the intersection of innovation and manufacturing excellence. You'll help transform new product concepts into scalable, profitable commercial products while improving existing manufacturing processes across multiple facilities throughout North America.

You'll have significant influence over:

• Product industrialization and commercialization
• Manufacturing technology and process optimization
• Customer success
• Operational excellence
• Food safety and regulatory compliance
• Continuous improvement
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Technical strategy and innovation

Why Join Us?

You'll become part of an organization committed to innovation, food quality, operational excellence, and continuous improvement. You'll work alongside talented technical and operational leaders while helping shape the future of product development and manufacturing across North America.

This is an opportunity to make a lasting impact by bringing innovative food and beverage products to market, developing high-performing technical teams, and driving manufacturing excellence across a growing organization.

If you're passionate about leading technical innovation while transforming products from concept to commercial success, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today and help shape the future of food manufacturing and product innovation.