Senior Manager Product Development

About the company Albertsons Companies is at the forefront of the revolution in retail.
With a fixation on raising the bar with innovation and building belonging through our culture, our team is rallying our company around a unique purpose : to create joy around each table and inspire a healthier tomorrow for every community.
Albertsons Companies is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States, with over 2,200 stores in 34 states and the District of Columbia.
Our well-known banners include Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets, and Balducci's Food Lovers Market.
We support our stores with 22 distribution centers and 19 manufacturing plants.
Placing a premium on adaptability, safety and family well-being, our work model, Presence with a Purpose, offers a hybrid work environment between remote work and office time.
A one-size-fits-all approach does not apply to everyone, and teams are empowered to make decisions best for them.
Bring your flavor Building the future of food and well-being starts with you.
Join our team and bring your best self to the table.
What you will be doing The Senior Manager, Product Development, collaborates with cross-functional team as the lead Product Development resource to develop new and reformulated products from concept through retail execution, including key sensory attributes, shelf life, nutrition facts, processing, packaging, safety, coding, and regulatory compliance to assigned categories.
Represent Product Development at key meetings to provide technical guidance and strategic direction.
Analyze data and translate into actionable insights.
Stay current with industry trends.
Leads a team of experienced product developers as assigned.
The Own Brands Product Development Department has an opening for a Senior Product Development Manager.
This position will be based in Pleasanton, CA.
Main responsibilities Leads a technical team to develop and approve new and reformulated food products based upon product quality & performance, cost, and project timelines.
Includes reviewing product performance, conducting product sensory evaluations, researching product standards and attributes, product safety, and product shelf life.
Develop, review, and/or approve packaging labels for new and reformulated products, assuring technical accuracy and internal requirements.
This role is expected to work autonomously with cross-functional team members on key projects to ensure on-time delivery of strategic business and departmental initiatives.
Provide leadership to guide and/or assist technical and non-technical peers and direct reports to mitigate technical and project hurdles.
Provide direction and assessment of technical feasibility for new product concepts, manufacturing capability options, and ingredient functionality and selection.
Create & manage product specifications.
Includes requesting product specifications and other technical documentation from suppliers, creating internal specifications, and reviewing and approving any updates to current product specifications.
Act as subject matter expert for the team regarding product specifications.
Manage internal & external suppliers, contractors & other outside resources.
Includes directing requested product changes, evaluations, consumer testing, and analysis.
Provide technical direction to external supplier activities, including sample and product information requests, specifications development, and communication of product changes to address safety, product performance, and/or regulatory issues.
“The salary range is $ 114,100 to $ 159,700 annually.
Starting salary will vary based on criteria such as location, experience, and qualifications.
There may be flexibility for exceptional candidates.
A copy of the full job description can be made available to you.
What we are searching Knowledge and understanding of the principles of Food Science and their application.
Knowledge and understanding of ingredient functionality, product formulations, and food preparation.
Experience with manufacturing equipment and systems, scale-up, and commercialization of new products.
Understanding of food safety principles.
Understanding of the impact of Federal Regulations upon different product categories (FDA, USDA, kosher, organic, various industry standards).
Extensive experience managing multiple projects and rapidly shifting priorities.
Demonstrated ability to communicate with, lead, and motivate direct reports and cross-functional teams.
Proficiency with MS Office and various nutrition databases (ESHA Genesis).
Working knowledge of Sensory Analysis principles and application.
Working knowledge of Culinary techniques and terminology.
Working knowledge of packaging technology.
We believe the successful candidate has these qualifications and experience: Bachelor’s Degree, Food Science, Chemical Engineering, or equivalent applied science with experience in food manufacturing.
Minimum 10 years of experience in Product Development, R&D, manufacturing (QA or Operations), across a broad range of categories.
Minimum 2 years supervisory experience.
What is it like at Albertsons? Our 290,000 associates have a passion for great service and building lasting relationships with our customers.
Through a companywide focus on innovation, we are continually enhancing our digital and product offerings, making it easy for customers to get what they need, wherever they are.