Your Opportunity as the Vice President of Coffee Research & Development
Own the end-to-end Research & Development (R&D) strategy for an iconic portfolio including Folgers®, Dunkin’® (At Home), Café Bustelo®, Medaglia D’Oro®, and Café Pilon®. Provide scientific and technical guidance across green coffee sourcing, roast and blend development, sensory and flavor science, packaging, process engineering, and format innovation including ground, whole bean, one-cup/K-Cup pods, instant, espresso, and ready-to-drink (RTD). Leverage enterprise capabilities, platforms, and shared services to advance the Coffee development agenda while contributing to our R&D function-wide priorities.
Location: Orrville, OH
Work Arrangements: Hybrid, 50% onsite expectation or more depending on business needs
In this role you will:
Own our Coffee Strategic Business Area (SBA) development strategy — including roast/blend innovation, format and occasion expansion (one-cup, RTD, espresso-style iced beverages), packaging innovation, and renovation pipelines for Folgers, Dunkin', Café Bustelo, Medaglia D'Oro, and Café Pilon.
Lead and manage large, cross-disciplinary technical teams through all aspects of the product life-cycle — from green coffee evaluation and cupping through commercialization and in-market support.
Partner closely with our Procurement organization to align on commodity sourcing, supplier qualification, and roasting facility excellence — recognizing the uniquely commodity-intensive nature of the coffee business.
Maintain alignment and collaborative with our Senior VP of our Science and Technical Excellence and team by leveraging shared platforms (sensory, analytical labs, packaging, regulatory, technical writing & specs) to ensure Coffee R&D priorities are integrated into enterprise capability roadmaps.
Build and develop high performing teams with strong technical and leadership capabilities to drive engagement and growth.
Translate technical, sensory, and consumer data into insights that influence business decisions, brand strategy, and pricing/revenue management — particularly important given current green coffee commodity volatility and tariff exposure.
Leverage internal and external technology capabilities to develop products that delight consumers; continuously search for and vet advanced technologies (extraction, processing, sustainable sourcing, RTD beverage systems, premiumization platforms) that complement areas of strategic focus.
Champion consumer-driven innovation across generations and multicultural segments, supporting Café Bustelo's category-leading growth and Folgers' relevance with next generation consumer segments.
Support business continuity, productivity, and continuous improvement in partnership with our enterprise Transformation Office, contributing to margin recovery and supply chain resilience.
What we are looking for:
Minimum requirements:
Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical field
7+ years of progressive R&D experience within the food and beverage industry, with significant leadership accountability.
Deep expertise in beverage and/or coffee science including product development, roast/blend formulation, flavor development, and processing technologies.
Proven experience leading large, cross-functional teams and complex product portfolios from concept through commercialization.
Demonstrated experience navigating commodity-intensive categories and partnering with Procurement on sourcing, hedging-aware development, and supplier innovation.
Cross-functional collaboration skills with experience partnering across Procurement, Supply Chain, Marketing, and Operations.
Ability to translate technical insights into business impact, prioritize innovation pipelines, and ensure disciplined R&D investment aligned to commercial objectives.
Commitment to continuous improvement, operational excellence, and driving transformation initiatives.
Additional skills and experience that we think would make someone successful in this role:
Advanced degree in science or engineering field
Familiarity with green coffee sourcing, roasting, grinding, packaging, one-cup/pod systems, instant/soluble, and/or RTD beverage formats.
Experience working in highly matrixed organizations and leveraging shared enterprise capabilities
The Right Place for You
We are bold, kind, strive to do the right thing, we play to win, and we believe in a strong community that thrives together. Our culture is rooted in our Basic Beliefs, and we believe in supporting every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs.
Stay connected with us on LinkedIn®
We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, age, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Chemical Engineering, or related technical field
- 7+ years of progressive R&D experience within the food and beverage industry with significant leadership accountability
- Deep expertise in beverage and/or coffee science including product development, roast/blend formulation, flavor development, and processing technologies
- Proven experience leading large, cross-functional teams and complex product portfolios from concept through commercialization
- Experience navigating commodity-intensive categories and partnering with Procurement on sourcing and supplier innovation
- Cross-functional collaboration experience partnering across Procurement, Supply Chain, Marketing, and Operations
- Ability to translate technical, sensory, and consumer data into business impact and prioritize innovation pipelines
- Commitment to continuous improvement, operational excellence, and driving transformation initiatives
- Advanced degree in science or engineering
- Familiarity with green coffee sourcing, roasting, grinding, packaging, one-cup/pod systems, instant/soluble, and/or RTD beverage formats
- Experience working in highly matrixed organizations and leveraging shared enterprise capabilities
The J.M. Smucker Co. Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about The J.M. Smucker Co. and has not been reviewed or approved by The J.M. Smucker Co..
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Retirement Support — Retirement programs are described as strong, with a company 401(k) match, immediate vesting in some materials, and access to an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. These elements contribute to a favorable view of total compensation value.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave for all parents and on-site childcare at key locations signal a family-forward approach. Additional supports such as adoption assistance and pet-related leave reinforce this emphasis.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off, seasonal compressed schedules, and flexibility options are highlighted across materials. The ability to start with substantial PTO and buy additional time enhances perceived time-off breadth.
The J.M. Smucker Co. Insights
What We Do
Each generation of consumers leaves their mark on culture by establishing new expectations for food and the companies that make it. At The J.M. Smucker Co., it is our privilege to be at the heart of this dynamic with a portfolio that appeals to each generation of people and pets with products found in 90 percent of U.S. homes and countless restaurants. This includes a mix of iconic brands consumers have always loved such as Folgers®, Jif® and Milk-Bone® and new favorites like Café Bustelo®, Smucker’s® Uncrustables® and Rachael Ray® Nutrish®. By continuing to immerse ourselves in consumer and pet parent preferences for food, how it’s purchased and how the companies that make it should operate, we will maintain the important role we play in their lives. This will allow us to continue growing our business and the positive impact we have on all of those who count on us.
