At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead R&D innovation from concept to commercial scale in a dynamic environment.
- Company: Join McCain Foods, a global family-owned leader in food innovation.
- Benefits: Inclusive workplace, career growth, and the chance to shape the future of food.
- Other info: Diverse team culture with a focus on creativity and inclusion.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on sustainable growth and competitive edge in the food industry.
- Qualifications: Degree in Food Science or Engineering with extensive R&D leadership experience.
The predicted salary is between 126563 - 154688 $ per year.
As R&D Director ANZ, you will be a senior business leader at the heart of innovation-led growth. Reporting to the VP R&D APACSA, you will lead the ANZ R&D function and act as a strategic partner to the ANZ Senior Leadership Team, translating consumer insight, technical expertise and operational realities into clear value-creating choices that fuel sustainable growth and competitive edge. This is an opportunity to shape strategy, influence at executive level and lead end‑to‑end innovation—from early concept through to commercial scale—while building future‑ready capability.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Lead the ANZ R&D organisation with a strong enterprise mindset, shaping priorities that align with business strategy.
- Lead the regional innovation and renovation portfolio, driving timely and disciplined progression from idea to launch.
- Partner closely with Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality and Procurement to ensure technical feasibility, operational readiness and risk mitigation.
- Lead complex scale‑up and production trials, providing clear insight on trade‑offs, timing and investment decisions.
- Drive R&D contributions to cost competitiveness, productivity and portfolio optimisation.
- Build strong partnerships across global and regional teams to enable shared development and accelerate innovation across markets.
- Anticipate regulatory and compliance changes, translating technical impacts into practical business actions.
- Develop and sustain critical R&D capabilities, including talent, succession and future‑fit skills across the ANZ team.
What You’ll Need To Be Successful
- A degree in Food Science, Engineering or a related discipline with direct application in food or FMCG manufacturing.
- Extensive senior‑level experience leading R&D within a complex, regulated manufacturing environment.
- Proven success delivering innovation from concept through scale‑up and commercialisation.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, supplier collaboration and regulatory pathways.
- Commercial acumen with the ability to translate complex technical topics into clear options and insights that enable effective business decision making.
- Experience operating effectively in matrixed, global organisations and influencing across functions.
- A leadership style that combines strategic clarity with hands‑on problem solving and builds trust across technical and non‑technical teams.
You will lead a diverse R&D team across ANZ, and work across the matrix with manufacturing sites, regional stakeholders and global R&D communities to bring innovation to life and deliver sustainable, high‑quality outcomes.
R&D Director – Australia & New Zealand employer: McCain Foods
At McCain, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, fostering a collaborative and inclusive work culture that empowers our employees to thrive. As a Distribution Manager at our Smithton Plant, you'll benefit from comprehensive training and development opportunities, a strong focus on safety and quality, and the chance to lead a dedicated team in a dynamic environment. Join us to make a meaningful impact while enjoying the support of a global family-owned company that values your contributions and promotes a healthy work-life balance.
