Research and Development Director - Innovation

After moving to New York from his native Turkey, Chobani’s founder and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya found that in America, yogurt just wasn’t as delicious and widely available as it was back home. He believed everyone deserved better options, so he set about making delicious, nutritious, natural and accessible Greek yogurt right here in the United States. “Better food for more people.” It’s a simple precept, but one that drives Chobani forward every day. From that first revived yogurt factory in New Berlin, New York, to a gleaming state-of-the-art facility in Twin Falls, Idaho, to an international foothold in Dandenong, Australia and beyond – in the few short years since its debut, Chobani has climbed to the top of the yogurt category and turned Greek yogurt into a household staple. With a growing team of thousands, Chobani strives to stay true to and honor Hamdi’s vision and goals for our company: To develop and foster meaningful relationships with those around us, to give back to our local and global communities, and to create one perfect cup of yogurt at a time. As a company, we’re proud to offer careers with limitless opportunities. We look for only the most passionate and hard-working people who will share this vision and help our rapidly growing company reach the next level. Chobani gives us all the chance to make a difference.

Summary

The Research and Development Director will lead major innovation initiatives, focusing on creating better tasting, natural and more nutrient dense foods & beverages, and implementing them for launch in current and futures Chobani factories across the US.

Responsibilities

• Identify innovative product and process solutions to meet consumer, customer and business needs as a strategic driver for business growth
• Identify and document internal and external resource needs to support agreed upon development programs; effectively uses all available resources (internally and externally with strategic suppliers)
• Ensure legal, regulatory and quality standards are defined and met during commercialization of new food products
• Lead hands-on development activities as required to meet project objectives; involving, at times, performing the tasks normally conducted by food technologists and project leaders
• Communicate effectively, cross-functionally and across diverse levels within and outside the organization
• Identify and explore new areas of technical opportunities in connection with Chobani Labs, the Twin Falls and LC R&D teams, and grow our network of suppliers
• Proactively improve existing platforms and technologies
• Approve all pilot and trial designs to achieve the best cost, quality, and time to the target
• Execute projects within the defined time and financial frame, while also delivering 100% expected quality and legal compliance

Requirements

• Bachelor’s in Food Technology or Food Chemistry; Master’s preferred
• Food industry experience; having a minimum of 10 years in the Dairy industry
• Exemplary leadership skills; ability to lead and influence multi-disciplinary teams to drive initiatives and concepts from initiation to completion
• Excellent project management, analytical, interpersonal, and communication skills (both written and oral)
• Demonstrated understanding of product development requirements
• Extensive knowledge of and about dairy products and ingredients
• Extremely passionate about product quality and consumer satisfaction
• Strong capability for problem solution management
• Demonstrated passion for hands-on leadership
• Ability to make complex decisions and communicate with both technical and non-technical team members
• Strong understanding of and passion for the Food/CPG industry
• Proven track record of consumer focused innovation, ability to analyze and interpret consumer research data, technical understanding and technical writing
• Strong sensory capabilities
• Willingness to travel (max 30% of time depending on project needs)

About Us

Chobani is a food maker with a mission of making high-quality and nutritious food accessible to more people, while elevating our communities and making the world a healthier place. In short: making good food for all. In support of this mission, Chobani is a purpose-driven, people-first, food-and-wellness-focused company, and has been since its founding in 2005 by Hamdi Ulukaya, an immigrant to the U.S. The Company manufactures yogurt, oat milk, and creamers – Chobani yogurt is America's No.1 yogurt brand, made with natural ingredients without artificial preservatives. Following the 2023 acquisition of La Colombe, a leading coffee roaster with a shared commitment to quality, craftmanship and impact, the Company began selling cold-pressed espresso and lattes on tap at cafés nationwide, as well as Ready to Drink (RTD) coffee beverages at retail. In 2025, Chobani acquired Daily Harvest, a modern brand offering consumers nutritious, delicious and convenient ready-to-make meals.

Chobani uses food as a force for good in the world – putting humanity first in everything it does. The company's philanthropic efforts prioritize giving back to its communities and beyond. Chobani manufactures its products in New York, Idaho, Michigan and Australia, and its products are available throughout North America and distributed in Australia and other select markets.

For more information, please visit www.chobani.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Chobani is an equal opportunity employer. Chobani will not discriminate against any applicant for employment on any basis including, but not limited to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, military and/or veteran status, marital status, predisposing genetic characteristics and genetic information, or any other classification protected by federal, state, and local laws.

Chobani provides a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision coverage, disability insurance, health savings account, flexible spending accounts, and tuition reimbursement. To help save for the future, all employees are eligible for a 401k match of 100% on up to 5% of eligible pay. To support growing families, we provide fertility and childcare assistance, and 12 weeks of parental leave at full pay after six months of continuous employment. In addition, we provide wellness resources which include an employee assistance program, fitness discounts, a wellness reimbursement, on-site gym access (certain locations) and a monthly wellness newsletter to connect you with resources and timely information. We offer various types of paid time of including: 120 hours of paid time off, 11 holidays, paid volunteer time off and military service leave.

Compensation Range: $144,000.00 - $216,000.00, plus bonus.