Warren,MI,USA-based Airport at Southwest | Hiring

Little Caesars Enterprises, Inc. is a leading quick service restaurant (QSR) company renowned for its commitment to delivering high-quality, delicious pizzas across the globe. Founded on the principle of customer satisfaction and innovation, Little Caesars has grown into a household name by focusing not only on the product but also on the growth and development of its colleagues. The company prides itself on fostering a culture where employee success is a key measure of organizational success. Beyond serving great food, Little Caesars invests heavily in its workforce, continually encouraging continuous learning, career advancement, and impactful contributions within the food service industry. With its bold mission of "Bigger Better Future," the company embraces innovation and teamwork as the building blocks of its future, creating an environment where employees can thrive and make lasting impacts both personally and professionally. The role of Director, R&D Commercialization at Little Caesars is a pivotal position that drives the innovation pipeline and the launch of new products and product platforms. This leadership role necessitates an experienced professional adept at managing research and development projects from inception through commercialization. This position is responsible for leading and managing cross-functional teams and collaborating closely with suppliers, Supply Chain, Quality Assurance (QA), Finance, and Marketing departments to ensure the successful market entry of new products. The successful candidate will be entrusted with developing strategies, processes, and timelines that optimize the commercialization efforts, ensuring compliance with Little Caesars’ rigorous quality standards and relevant regulatory requirements. Additionally, this role includes mentoring and guiding commercialization managers, managing ingredient sourcing, scaling, specification development, and recipe validation to support food costing and financial analysis. This position offers a unique opportunity to combine passion for food science and innovation with strategic leadership, contributing directly to the company’s growth and reputation. It demands strong project management skills, leadership capabilities, and the ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders. The Director, R&D Commercialization not only contributes to internal strategic planning but also represents the Research and Development department at executive levels, reinforcing the importance of food quality, creativity, and customer satisfaction in product development and launch processes. This role requires significant travel both domestically and internationally, underscoring its importance in ensuring consistent product standards across markets and leveraging global market dynamics for successful product commercialization. Through this position, a visionary leader can make a lasting impact on Little Caesars’ innovation trajectory, customer experience, and global competitiveness while advancing their own career within a dynamic and supportive organization.

• Bachelor’s degree in food technology, food chemistry, food microbiology, product development, food science, or culinary science
• 7-10 years of experience in research and development and team management
• Demonstrated success in ingredient commercialization
• Strong leadership skills
• Excellent communication and organizational abilities
• Ability to work with cross-functional teams
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally up to 40%
• Knowledge of quality assurance practices is preferred
• Passion for food science and innovation