R&D Manager

Who We Are

At JonnyPops, our team is empowered to make an impact at work every day from producing high-quality, innovative frozen novelties to spreading kindness one pop at a time. We look for bright and ambitious individuals who seek out challenges, thrive in fast-paced and high-growth environments, align with our core values, and get fulfilment from seeing their work transform the world around them.

Based in Elk River, MN, JonnyPops develops, manufactures, distributes, and markets frozen novelties. Retailers from coast to coast including Target, Costco, Publix, Kroger, Cub, along with thousands of regional and local grocers make JonnyPops part of their assortment.

Growing from a dorm room start-up in 2012, JonnyPops’ mission is to make "A Better Pop for a Better World!" JonnyPops leads the frozen novelties space in innovation and uses simple ingredients with no artificial dyes. Every pop stick includes a kind deed, spreading kindness every day.

Joining JonnyPops is an exciting opportunity to be part of high-growth brand and have a direct impact on the company’s success. Join our team and help us make “A Better Pop, for a Better World!”

Job Summary

We are looking for a R&D Manager to help enable us to continue, and lead with, the creation and execution of our products and manufacturing methodology.

In this role, you will have the unique opportunity to leverage your strong technical, possibilities-thinking, and influence skills to advance projects from concept through commercialization. The R&D Manager helps lead the research and development function to drive innovation, product development, and technical excellence within the organization. This role is responsible for managing a team of scientists in the creation, improvement, and commercialization of strong innovation products. The R&D Manager is responsible for partnering and collaborating across Production, QA, Engineering, Supply Chain, and other cross-functional partners to deliver results that meet business objectives, regulatory standard, and manufacturing requirements.

This role is expected to be on the manufacturing floor working on executing improvements and innovation 20% of the time while 80% of the time working on leading the team in creation/ideation.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of R&D scientists, technologists, and support staff
• Manage the R&D project portfolio, ensuring timely execution and alignment with business priorities
• Manage quick-turn prototype development to support agile innovation cycles and customer/internal evaluations
• Support building and maintaining a rolling pipeline of early-stage ideas through late-stage development
• Set project milestones, timelines, and resource allocations in collaboration with cross-functional partners
• Provide R&D leadership in early feasibility through commercialization of innovation and renovation as it pertains to the plant floor
• Design, develop and build experiments and trials to be implemented into manufacturing
• Partner with manufacturing and process engineering teams to scale new products from lab to plant
• Oversee pilot plant trials, first production runs, and troubleshooting during scale-up
• Manage multiple priorities and prioritize based on fast paced evolving business needs
• Collaborate/Initiate across Supply Chain, Engineering, Production and internal/external experts to advance ideas through feasibility and implementation
  
  

Food Safety Responsibilities

• Ensure all food safety protocols are met
• Engineer, design and build products with Food Safety, sanitation and cleanliness as a top priority
• Clearly reflect food safety and quality as part of the JP brand, when planning and executing projects, and while interacting with relevant external and internal stakeholders
• Follows, adheres and upholds GMP
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or Masters Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Food Engineering, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, other related field and 3 years of product development and commercialization experience
• HACCP / FSMA - PCQI Certification preferred
• Demonstrated leadership skills with the agility and adaptability to manage multiple situations with a strong learning mindset
• Desire to be a possibilities thinker that will be able to translate ideas into action
• Builds effective relationships and partnerships with internal and external partners
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Preferred experience with process development and/or commercialization experience in a food space or industry
• Proficient in using Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint
• Able to perform basic mathematical calculations and analyses
• Ability to interpret lab results
• Preferred experiencing leveraging AI and building agents
  
  

Additional Requirements

• Naturally curious, with an appreciation for ambiguity and the ability to embrace the “test and learn” mentality in pursuit of continuous improvement
• Alignment to our mission to spread kindness – JonnyPops is a kindness-based company
• Versatility, flexibility, and a willingness to work within constantly changing priorities with enthusiasm
  
  

Physical Demands and Work Environment

Physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to stand, sit, walk, use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; talk and hear, and reach with hands or arms. The employee is frequently required to climb or balance, and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee consistently lifts and/or moves up to 100 lbs and is on their feet for the majority of the workday. Works comfortably in a variable temperature environment. This role would require split time between our Plymouth, MN R&D Center and our production facility in Elk River, MN

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $120,000.00 - $145,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Employee discount
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Referral program
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance
  
  

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekends as needed
  
  

Work Location: In person

JonnyPops offers a competitive benefits package which includes the following:

• Medical/Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• HSA
• FSA
• DCFSA
• Life & AD&D Insurance
• Short & Long Term Disability
• FTO/PTO
• EAP Programs
• Paid Holidays
• Employee Referral Program
• Sick & Safe Leave
• 401k
• Company Sponsored Meal Plan
• Hired candidates may be eligible to receive additional compensation in the form of bonuses and/or commissions
  
  

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