Director of Innovation

Seaboard Foods is a leading pork producer and exporter in the United States, committed to creating the most sought-after pork products through responsible production and meticulous attention to quality. As a company that deeply values teamwork, integrity, safety, and continuous improvement, Seaboard Foods employs over 5,400 team members across five states, supporting farms, feed mills, and processing operations. Their flagship product, Prairie Fresh4 pork, is delivered to customers in more than 30 countries worldwide, demonstrating their strong global presence and dedication to supplying premium pork products. Seaboard Foods is recognized as a Fortune 500 employer and has been nominated as one of the "Best Places to Work" by the Business Journal, emphasizing their commitment to fostering an inclusive, growth-oriented work culture where employees can make meaningful contributions and advance their careers.

The Director of Innovation at Seaboard Foods holds a critical leadership role responsible for spearheading the product innovation strategy focused on value-added pork categories. This dynamic position involves overseeing the entire innovation pipeline to ensure alignment with the companys growth objectives and market trends. The Director's key focus is to translate consumer insights, customer requirements, and emerging industry opportunities into scalable, commercially viable pork products across retail and foodservice channels. This role requires hands-on leadership of the product innovation team, promoting a high-performance culture through coaching, priority setting, and accountability. Furthermore, the Director manages cross-functional collaboration between Marketing, Sales, Operations, and Supply Chain teams to facilitate successful product launches and commercialization efforts.

With responsibility for end-to-end product development from concept ideation through commercialization, the Director of Innovation also ensures that all new products meet manufacturing capabilities and regulatory requirements, including USDA standards. Driving business impact is paramount, and the Director actively manages external partnerships and vendor relationships to maximize revenue growth, margin improvement, and cost optimization through innovative initiatives. This pivotal role is ideal for a seasoned professional with extensive experience in meat and protein product development or R&D within the pork industry who is passionate about leading innovation that meets evolving consumer demands and advances company goals.