Culinary Design Manager

Job Summary

Looking for a role that challenges you while making an impact on products people use every day? IFF is a global leader in flavors, fragrances, food ingredients and health & biosciences. We deliver sustainable innovations that elevate everyday products. Crafting unique, technology-enabled flavor designs that define the identity of food and beverage brands, shape trends in flavor building and fuel market success.

In this role, the Culinary Design Manager will be responsible for managing a team of research and development professionals in our Taste business. They will be overseeing research and development projects and studies that develop new solutions within the prepared meals business focus. The role is based in South Brunswick, NJ. This is an R&D leadership position where on‑site work 5 days a week is a requirement, with manager’s discretion of any potential work from home capabilities.

Be part of our Taste team where together we can achieve greatness and make a real impact. Your potential is our inspiration.

• Manage, coach, and develop a team of Food Scientists & professionals, fostering technical excellence, collaboration, and accountability.
• Allocate resources and prioritize work to ensure timely and effective execution of R&D projects.
• Lead and oversee research and development projects and technical studies to investigate relationships, resolve technical challenges, and develop viable solutions for specific applications or scientific areas.
• Drive problem solving efforts by translating technical questions into structured research approaches and actionable outcomes.
• Contribute technical expertise to the development of new concepts, technologies, or applications within the assigned domain.
• Partner with internal stakeholders (e.g., commercial, operations, quality, regulatory) to align R&D efforts with business needs.
• Communicate technical findings clearly to both technical and nontechnical audiences to support decision making.

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a scientific or engineering discipline relevant to the role.
• Minimum of 5 years’ managerial experience leading and mentoring a highly technical team.
• Demonstrated experience leading or managing research and development projects in an applied or scientific environment.

• Strong understanding of standard scientific or engineering methodologies and experimental techniques.
• Proven ability to independently apply technical judgment to solve complex problems.
• Technical expertise in Savory or Culinary Application, prepared meals strong preference.

• Dynamic work environment
• Team Leadership with growth potential, career development opportunity
• Excellent benefits & paid time off

We are a global leader in taste, scent, and nutrition, offering our customers a broader range of natural solutions and accelerating our growth strategy. At IFF, we believe that your uniqueness unleashes our potential. We value the diverse mosaic of the ethnicity, national origin, race, age, sex, or veteran status. We strive for an inclusive workplace that allows each of our colleagues to bring their authentic self to work regardless of their religion, gender identity & expression, sexual orientation, or disability.

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Salary Ranges: $156,496 - $195,620