A proudly Canadian company, Yoplait Liberté has been producing yogurts made with fresh, high-quality milk from local farms for over 50 years. Among our iconic brands: Liberté, born in Montréal in 1936, and Yoplait, which arrived in Canada in 1971.

What we offer:

- Exciting projects within a growing and transforming organization
- Flexibility through a hybrid work environment that is people-focused and supportive
- Recognition of relevant years of experience for vacation entitlement calculations
- A comprehensive group insurance plan fully paid by the employer, along with an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- A retirement savings program (RRSP and DPSP) with employer contributions because we invest in your future
- Enhanced parental leave benefits
- Access to telemedicine services
- Meaningful opportunities for continuous learning and professional development
- The pride of contributing to iconic brands that have been part of Canadian households for decades
- The opportunity to make a real impact in a highly strategic role influencing key business decisions
- A dynamic entrepreneurial environment that values initiative, bold thinking, and creativity

The position may be based at our downtown Montréal office on an hybrid model

Your role:

Reporting to the Vice President, Sustainable Growth, the Director, Research & Development is responsible for defining and executing the company's innovation strategy across the entire product portfolio.

The Director, Research & Development leads the R&D;, Innovation, Food Science, and Product Development teams to drive business growth through the launch of cutting-edge products, formulation optimization, continuous process improvement, and the identification of new technology platforms that meet consumer and customer needs.

What you will accomplish daily

- Define and implement the R&D; vision and strategy aligned with business objectives.
- Lead, develop, and coach multidisciplinary R&D; teams.
- Develop and manage the short-, medium-,



and long-term innovation pipeline.
- Establish R&D; investment priorities based on commercial potential and return on investment.
- Actively contribute to decisions regarding technology investments and manufacturing capability improvements.
- Identify, evaluate, and select contract manufacturing partners (Co-Manufacturers) to support company growth and address internal capacity limitations.
- Monitor market trends, consumer needs, and growth opportunities.
- Collaborate with Marketing, Sales, Operations, and Quality teams to ensure and accelerate successful product commercialization.
- Drive talent development and succession planning within the function.
- Establish performance indicators to measure the impact of R&D; activities.
- Ensure projects are delivered within budget, timelines, and objectives.
- Support manufacturing facilities in resolving complex technical challenges related to yogurt production.
- Lead the technical qualification of manufacturing processes, validate partners' ability to meet quality, food safety, and performance requirements, and ensure seamless integration into the company’s manufacturing network.
- Develop strategic partnerships with suppliers, universities, research centers, and industry organizations.
- Maintain scientific and technological intelligence in dairy products, proteins, functional ingredients, fermentation, and emerging processing technologies

What you need to join our team

- Master's degree or Bachelor's degree in Food Science and Technology, Microbiology, Food Engineering, Engineering, Chemistry, Dairy Processing, or a related field.
- Minimum of 15 years of R&D; experience within the food industry.
- Minimum of 8 to 10 years of people management experience.
- Recognized expertise in yogurt and/or fermented product development and manufacturing.
- Proven experience managing innovation portfolios and commercial product launches.
- Fluency in both French and English.

Want to be part of a company that has both flavour… and purpose?

📌 Director, Research & Development (Montreal)
🏢 Yoplait Liberté Canada
📍 Montreal