Vice President, Disruptive Innovation

Join the Global Cheese Business Unit at Leprino Foods in Denver as our Vice President of Disruptive Innovation and be a pivotal force in driving our cheese operations to unprecedented heights of growth and innovation. We are committed to our ambition of being recognized as 'world's best', which drives us to work harder, invest smarter, and relentlessly pursue groundbreaking innovations. As the Vice President of Disruptive Innovation, you will lead our efforts in creating transformative strategies and solutions that reshape the future of the cheese industry. Bring your visionary leadership, technical expertise, and passion for continuous improvement to a role where your contributions will have a lasting impact on our global business and the wider cheese market.

For specific details regarding the compensation range and bonus structure for this position, candidates are encouraged to reach out to Iassen Donov, Head of Talent Acquisition at Leprino Foods, directly at idonov@leprinofoods.com for comprehensive information on the competitive package offered for this position.

Candidates Please Note: This is not a product development/commercialization position. This role is exclusive to the innovative development of new cheese manufacturing processes and technologies that may or may not exist in the market today!

The Things We’ll Ask of You:

• Research, develop, and implement groundbreaking new and innovative cheese-making technologies that may not exist in the market. It’s important to note that this is not a product innovation or commercialization position!
• Proactively formulate and integrate strategies for the development of new products, processes, tools, and potentially ingredients, with the goal of revolutionizing our cheese business operations.
• Identify, evaluate, and incorporate cutting-edge tools, ingredients, and processes, while rigorously upholding regulatory standards and food safety protocols.
• Lead and inspire innovation across the organization, ensuring alignment with Leprino’s vision and global strategy.
• Spearhead the development of disruptive innovations within our mozzarella manufacturing to create long-term competitive advantages in cost, performance, ingredients, process, and capacity.
• Collaborate closely with key stakeholders, including the EVP of the Cheese Business Unit, VP of Innovation, and the SVP of Technical Services, to ensure technical and operational feasibility of innovative solutions.
• Utilize extensive knowledge in dairy science and cheese manufacturing to inform innovative strategies and processes.
• Drive significant improvement in Leprino’s Return on Investment Capital (ROIC) by crafting and implementing strategies that establish a long-term competitive edge, addressing critical aspects such as cost efficiency, product performance, innovative ingredient use, process optimization, and capacity expenditure.
• Spearhead the ideation and development of groundbreaking innovations in the dairy industry, welcoming and nurturing ideas from diverse sources.
• Manage and oversee innovative open-source strategies and tactics, ensuring effective coordination and protection of Intellectual Property rights.

You Have At Least (Required Qualifications):

• While a Master’s degree is mandatory, specifically in chemical engineering, process engineering, food science, dairy science, or dairy chemistry, we typically find that candidates with a Ph.D. in these areas are more likely to succeed in this role.
• While a strong academic and research experience is a must as mentioned above; the right candidate would need to have at least 12 years of senior level technical experience in a large, fully integrated, global dairy manufacturer.
• The ability to travel domestically and internationally, approximately 40% of the time, to visit technological innovators in the dairy manufacturing space and collaborate with global teams.
• Strong technical and functional knowledge of dairy, cheese, process cheese, aseptic cheese, or butter.
• In-depth knowledge of dairy proteins, dairy carbohydrates, cheese manufacturing, product development processes, regulatory, and continuous improvement processes.
• Knowledge of innovation, quality and food safety methods and techniques, continuous improvement methods and statistical process control techniques.

We Hope You Also Have (Preferred Qualifications):

• A PhD. In Dairy Science or Dairy Chemistry
• 15 years of senior level technical experience in a large, fully integrated, global dairy manufacturer (outside of academia).
• Strong technical and functional knowledge of pasta filata cheese-make.

International Candidate Disclaimer:

• Leprino acknowledges that the ideal candidate may be located in regions with significant dairy industry presence, such as Europe and Oceania. Individuals who meet the United States’ O-1A visa criteria (Ph.D., patents, and publications) will be considered for full sponsorship and relocation.
• Qualified individuals with Australian citizenship would qualify for sponsorship under the E-3 visa program.
• Qualified individuals with Canadian citizenship would qualify for sponsorship under the TN visa program.
• Currently, Leprino will not be considering international candidates requiring new H-1B sponsorship.

At Leprino, we embrace and value diversity. We are dedicated to providing equal opportunities and ensuring a workplace free from discrimination based on race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability. We believe that our collective strength lies in our differences and are committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive culture that embraces the unique talents, experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives of every team member. Together, we can achieve greatness by using the power of diversity.

Offering You In Return:

A chance to be part of a global team of individuals passionate about producing and delivering high-quality products that help feed and nourish families around the world. Leprino Foods could not be where it is today without our incredible employees. That is why we share in our success together by rewarding you for your hard work. Hiring great people who are in it for the long run is our goal. Through competitive salaries and bonuses, long-term incentives, life, medical/dental/vision coverage, voluntary benefits, employee assistance programs, wellness incentives, tuition assistance, vacation, ten paid holidays, sick time, paid parental leave, annual merit increases, as well as the LFC Profit-Sharing & 401(k) plan. Your impact will be noticed and rewarded, as you seek to further our company, our customers, and one another.

Our Story:

Leprino’s history dates back to the 1950s, when Jim Leprino first started making small batches of mozzarella for local markets and eateries in the Little Italy neighborhood of Denver. We’ve grown a bit since then. Today, Leprino is the world’s largest manufacturer of mozzarella and lactose, and a leading producer of whey protein. Still owned by Jim and the Leprino family, our sights are set to be the “World’s Best Dairy Food and Ingredient Company.” From a small corner grocery store we have grown to over 5,000 employees throughout the globe. Will you join us on our journey?