Manager, International R&D/QA, Cheese

Build a Bigger, Better, Bolder Future

Imagine working for a company that measures its success based off the growth of its colleagues, a company that invests in its future by investing in you. Little Caesars is a company where our colleagues make an impact.

Your Mission:

Lead and manage the development of ingredients, focusing on the cheese category, to enable company’s strategy and growth plans for international markets. This includes supplier development around the globe as well as managing quality assurance policies and initiatives. Development responsibilities include formulations, scale up production runs, testing and launching of ingredients.

The position is based within the corporate quality assurance team located in Detroit, MI and reports to the Director of Global Food Safety and Quality Assurance.

How You’ll Make an Impact:

• Make an immediate impact by being the subject matter expert in Dairy Science and processing technology with an emphasis in cheese.
• Use your knowledge of technical application of food science and processing technology to enhance pizza ingredients.
• Collaborates with R&D, QA, Supply Chain and Suppliers to develop cheese and pizza ingredients to achieve defined end product attributes.
• Responsible for supplier product development; testing, validating product performance in restaurants and through shelf life, scaling/commercializing, and finalizing specifications.
• Manages product development projects, collaborating with cross-functional partners such as Supply Chain, Marketing, Operations, and Training to meet timelines.
• Seeks methods to educate and improve knowledge of new technologies, manufacturing processes, supplier capabilities, and ingredient technologies.
• Proactively reviews food law and regulations to identify business impact and opportunities to adapt ingredients.
• Creates, implements and communicates updated policies, procedures and programs that ensure product safety and quality.
• Creates, updates and communicates product specifications and issues changes.
• Executes quality assurance programs and policies for product, suppliers and distributors.
• Identifies and resolves supplier food safety and quality issues.
• Provides technical support and acts as a liaison with the quality control function at suppliers to develop and ensure controls are developed, executed and maintained.
• Investigates and resolves customer complaints
• Assists suppliers with LC ingredient manufacturing and problem resolution.
• Responsible for corporate product recalls and retrievals and maintaining appropriate documentation.
• Administers mock recalls to distribution centers.
• Coordinates sanitation audits, lab testing and samples from distribution centers.
• Assists leadership in policy creation for vendors, vendor evaluations and audits
• Maintains approved manufacturer list for regional vendors.
• Performs other duties as requested by Supervisor.
• May be responsible for management of others, including hiring and performance management.

Who You Are:

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Biology, Chemistry or related discipline.
• Seven (7) to Ten Years (10) in Quality Assurance and R&D in the food industry.
• Minimum two (2) years of experience in food manufacturing required.
• Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills and ability to work cross-functionally with individuals and teams, internally and externally.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with internal and external colleagues, vendors and suppliers
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and manage multiple, complex projects and initiatives simultaneously with a results-oriented approach.
• Strong verbal, written and presentation communication skills with ability to communicate technical information to a wide variety of audiences and with all levels of the organization.
• Ability to communicate effectively with franchisees, vendors and other departments, often communicating complex technical data to a variety of audiences.
• Evidence of the ability to establish, document, update and track quality metrics, preferable through standardized and accepted process control procedures.
• Experience in a previous position requiring accuracy, attention to detail and documentation of issues, resolutions and policy changes.
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills. Good interpersonal skills and ability to resolve conflicting points of view.
• Sensory abilities for product evaluation.
• HACCP certification and foodservice sanitation certification.
• Ability to travel within the US and Internationally 30% - 50%
• Computer proficiency (Microsoft Office, database, internet and documentation software required.
• Knowledge/experience in dairy/cheese products and manufacturing processes of the dairy and cheese products is preferred.
• Knowledge/experience in pizza/QSR/food service, pizza ingredients, and restaurant equipment is preferred.

Where You’ll Work:

• Position requires working in both an office and test kitchen environment.
• Position requires work in manufacturing plants, evaluating supplier capabilities and ensuring adherence to production run requirements.
• Position requires field work in LC restaurants, supplier kitchens, research facilities, and non-traditional venues.
• Position will require moderate (30% – 50%) international travel via a variety of transportation modes
• Ability to lift, push, or pull up to forty (40) pounds of weight in order to transport food materials (bulk ingredients) and/or equipment.