Director, Product & Package Scale Up (R&D) (Louisville)
Short Intro and About the Job The Director, Product & Package Scale-Up, R&I co-leads (with R&I category leads) the successful technical execution of innovation, renovation, productivity, and sustainability projects across Danone’s categories and manufacturing network. This leader is accountable for building and deploying strong scale-up capabilities that enable projects to launch first time right, with end-to-end technical rigor across product, packaging, processing, quality, and manufacturing readiness. This role serves as a critical bridge between R&I category teams, Packaging, Operations, Quality, Engineering, Procurement, Regulatory, and external manufacturing partners to ensure that new and renovated products are designed for manufacturability, validated with discipline, and scaled with speed, consistency, quality, and consumer-preferred performance. The Director brings solid understanding of the full technical system of product formulation, package design/validation, process capability, line conditions, equipment interfaces, specifications, and plant execution. Will lead a team of Scientists and Engineers who provide hands‑on technical leadership for scale-up strategy, trial design, risk mitigation, validation, troubleshooting, and commercialization readiness across dairy, plant-based, beverages, yogurt, creamers, and other key platforms. Key Responsibilities Lead Product, Package, and Process Scale‑Up Excellence Own the end-to-end R&I scale-up execution for innovation and renovation projects, ensuring product, packaging, and process solutions are technically robust, scalable, safe, regulatory compliant, and consumer preferred. Co‑lead technical commercialization with R&I category leaders and cross‑functional partners for medium to high complexity/impact projects across Danone categories and manufacturing sites. Drive first‑time‑right execution through early technical risk assessment, design‑to‑scale thinking, clear success criteria, robust trial planning, and disciplined validation. Ensure projects are designed for manufacturability by integrating product attributes, packaging performance, processing conditions, equipment capability, quality requirements, and plant realities before scale‑up. Bring Packaging Expertise Into End‑to‑End Commercialization Provide strong technical leadership in packaging development, validation, materials, specifications, manufacturability, sustainability, and line performance to ensure packaging solutions support business growth and operational excellence. Strengthen packaging scale‑up practices across concept creation, design, materials science, prototyping, testing, validation, commercialization, and lifecycle optimization. Partner with Packaging, Product Development, Operations, Engineering, Procurement, Quality, and suppliers to identify packaging solutions that deliver superior consumer experience while meeting manufacturing, cost, sustainability, and supply chain requirements. Ensure package design, product performance, and processing conditions come together as an integrated system, especially for complex launches requiring new formats, new materials, new line conditions, new equipment, or new manufacturing sites. Deliver Innovation and Renovation Across the Manufacturing Network Lead R&I execution for innovation, renovation, productivity, and sustainability initiatives requiring scale‑up across internal and external manufacturing facilities. Ensure manufacturing readiness through technical assessments, plant trial plans, validation protocols, start‑up support, troubleshooting, and post‑launch stabilization. Partner with Operations, QFS, R&I, and Engineering to deliver safe, cost‑effective, scalable, and consumer‑preferred products and packages. Drive consistent ways of working across sites to improve launch success, reduce rework, improve speed to market, and protect product and package quality at scale. Build Strong Scale‑Up Governance, Tools, and Standards Establish practical scale‑up standards, governance routines, validation expectations, and performance measures to improve predictability from concept to commercialization. Strengthen technical documentation, trial reports, risk assessments, specifications, traceability, and launch readiness reviews across the product and package scale‑up portfolio. Partner with Specs, Quality, Regulatory, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing teams to ensure product, packaging, raw material, process, and label specifications are accurate, governed, and fit for commercialization. Use data, plant learnings, and post‑launch performance to continuously improve scale‑up approaches, avoid repeat issues, and build organizational capability. Lead, Develop, and Inspire a Senior Technical Team Lead a high‑performing team of Scientists and Engineers, building technical depth, accountability, collaboration, and enterprise influence. Set portfolio priorities, allocate technical resources, coach project leaders, and ensure the team is focused on the highest‑impact scale‑up risks and business‑critical launches. Build capability in product‑package‑process integration, plant trial excellence, packaging manufacturability, validation, root cause problem solving, and technical storytelling. Foster a culture of technical rigor, learning, simplification, and constructive challenge so teams can anticipate risks early and solve problems with speed and discipline. The salary range for this position is $149,000-214,000 USD. The exact salary offered will depend on several factors, including the candidate’s relevant experience, geographic location, internal equity, and market conditions. Danone North America additionally offers a performance‑based bonus and has a strong benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Drug Coverage, 401k Plan, Wellness Program, Life Insurance, Tuition Reimbursement, Flexible Time Off, and Paid Parental Bonding Leave, among other benefit plan options. To give our employees flexibility, Danone is a hybrid work environment.This role is considered a “hybrid” position that allows for flexible work, meaning it is a role where collaboration with key stakeholders in Danone Hubs occurs. While you may have the option to work from home on a schedule as agreed to with your supervisor, you are also expected to regularly report to your assigned office location at least 3 days per week. About You Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree or higher in Packaging Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Food Science, Food Engineering, Materials Science, or related technical field. MS/PhD preferred. 10-15 years of progressive experience in packaging, product development, process engineering, scale‑up, commercialization, or manufacturing within food, beverage, CPG, or related process industries. Demonstrated experience leading complex cross‑functional technical programs involving R&I, Packaging, Marketing, Operations, Engineering, Procurement, Quality, Regulatory, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, and external partners. Strong packaging technical depth, including materials, package functionality, validation, manufacturability, sustainability, supplier engagement, specifications, and launch execution. Strong understanding of product and process scale‑up, including pilot and plant trials, unit operations, line performance, quality systems, process capability, and technical troubleshooting. Ability to lead through ambiguity, make timely technical decisions, translate complexity into clear recommendations, and influence senior stakeholders across a matrixed organization. Experience building technical roadmaps, risk mitigation plans, validation strategies, and commercialization readiness routines that improve speed, quality, and business impact. Strong business acumen, with understanding of R&I value levers including growth, productivity, quality, risk mitigation, sustainability, consumer experience, speed to market, and cost position. Strong leadership, coaching, communication, and storytelling skills, with the ability to develop senior technical talent and align cross‑functional teams behind clear execution priorities. Ability to travel to manufacturing sites, suppliers, external manufacturers, and other technical locations as needed to support scale‑up, validation, troubleshooting, and launch readiness (approx. 20-30% travel). About Us, We offer and What’s next Life at Danone With approximately 5,000 employees and 13 production locations across the U.S., our vibrant culture and endless growth opportunities are just a couple of the reasons our employees call themselves “Proud Danoners.”Learn more about Life at Danone Our Brands When you join us, you’ll work with some of the best‑known food and beverage brands in the world, including Activia®, DanActive®, Danimals®, Dannon®, evian®, Follow Your Heart®, Happy Family® Organics, International Delight®, Light Fit®, Nutricia ®, Oikos®, Silk®, So Delicious® Dairy Free, STōK® Cold Brew Coffee ®, Too Good & Co™, and YoCrunch®. Our Purpose We’re committed to making a positive impact on our world. Rooted in our mission to bring health through food to as many people as possible, we’re proud to be the world’s largest B Corp.Learn more about our mission. Our Benefits Our commitment to making the world healthier starts with our employees. Physical Wellbeing: We pay for the majority of your medical benefits – which include medical, dental and vision – with our competitive 80%/20% cost‑sharing model
