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ABOUT ROLAND FOODS
Roland Foods, LLC, based in New York City, is an importer and distributor of high-quality specialty food products from more than 60 countries. Founded in Paris in 1934 and established in the U.S. in 1939, the Company provides customers with exceptional specialty foods, primarily offered under the Roland brand. The company has a national presence in the foodservice, retail, and industrial channels as well as international sales in the Caribbean, Central and South America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Roland Foods’ dedication to providing quality and consistency has made it a leader among food importers and suppliers. The Roland brand is synonymous with quality and authenticity for the consumer and chef alike.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Project Manager, Innovation at Roland Foods will have end-to-end ownership of innovation planning from new product ideation through commercialization, leading item launches, and supporting overall business growth objectives across all customer channels (i.e., food service, retail, industrial, international). It is an exciting time for the Manger to join, as Roland recently underwent a branding overhaul and is further investing in product innovation to drive the value of the Roland brand. The Manager will have the opportunity to develop processes for a new innovation team by ‘thinking big’, drive the legacy of Roland as an industry leader in innovation, and support the strategic direction of the Innovation team’s project scope. This role is ideal for a person with strong analytical and project management experience combined with an interest in the Foodservice and CPG/Grocery space, who is looking to lead with significant autonomy. The Manager will support the development and management of the innovation pipeline and partner with Roland’s R&D Chef to identify new item trends and develop value-added products. To be successful in the role, the person must be willing to do the day-to-day tactical work alongside the research & insights that inform strategic planning. The day-to-day work will include competitive market research, the execution of supplier communication, coordinating product cuttings with the R&D Chef, and partnering closely with Sales, FSQA, Revenue Management, Supply Chain, and Creative/Marketing to ensure end-to-end commercialization of innovation products. This position will sit in Roland’s Innovation team, reporting to the Associate Director, Portfolio Innovation & Brand Strategy.
As a response to the pandemic, Roland Foods office employees have transitioned to a hybrid working schedule, requiring employees to report in-person Tuesday through Thursday, with the option to telework on Monday and Friday each week. Due to the collaborative, cross-functional nature of the organization, employees at the NY and NJ offices are required to work in person for the abovementioned days, outside of any People & Culture-approved disability accommodation request.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Manage the Roland Foods innovation project flow
Support innovation pipeline process development by conducting primary & secondary competitive landscape research along with synthesizing market research & insights, internal data, and cross-functional input
Lead communication with existing and new suppliers to source new products in addition to supporting supplier onboarding alongside the FSQA team
Partner with the R&D Chef to ideate new products and manage cuttings to determine the optimal specification/ product formulation
Manage new product setup within Roland’s internal system
Partner with Sales to develop targets & facilitate commercialization, including launch date timelines & new item kick-off meetings
Support Innovation team & process development through SOP and template creation
Partner with the Creative & Marketing team to organize Roland’s annual Innovation Summit, an in-person event between Roland and key industry stakeholders & customers
Support summit agenda development and workshop planning
Manage customer invite process with the Roland sales team
QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS
Required
Bachelor’s Degree, preferably with a focus in Business/ Business Administration or related field
2-3 years of experience in a Project Management, Consulting, Commercialization, or Product Strategy capacity
Organized & detail-oriented with the ability to analyze data and report insights as part of tracking progress against key Innovation & Sales KPIs
Experience working with large datasets & conducting complex analyses
Preferred
Experience in CPG/FMCG or Retail is strongly preferred
Strong verbal & written communication abilities
Exceptional time management skills
Prior experience operating within strict deadlines
SALARY RANGE
Roland Foods hires exceptional people to perform a wide variety of important functions that contribute to the success of the Company. One of the ways Roland Foods does that is through a competitive compensation package. The base salary for this role will be $90,000 – $135,000.
This role will be bonus eligible.
Based on your qualifications, previous experience, and transferrable skills, the Company will determine at its sole discretion, the salary offered.
Founded by immigrants, Roland Foods knows that diversity is the spice of life. We believe in the power of food to open minds, spark adventure, and bring diverse people together. All are welcome at our table! We know the transformative value of food in individual lives and communities. Because of this, we insist on obtaining the highest-quality ingredients and talent!
Roland Foods is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. Roland Foods considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Roland Foods is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at [email protected].
