Job DescriptionSenior Manager, R&D - Kennesaw, GAJob PurposeThe Senior Manager, R&D - Kennesaw provides strategic leadership for the deployment and operationalization of R&D technologies into ADM's manufacturing, quality, and product development pipelines. This role ensures successful translation of phage, spore-former, and enzyme programs into Operations, Quality, Regulatory, CD&D. Responsibilities include ensuring readiness of specifications, documentation, tech-transfer packages, and compliance elements for commercial deployment. The Senior Manager leads a team of scientists and technicians and partners closely with Operations, QA/QC, Supply Chain, CD&D, Regulatory, and Medical to ensure new technologies are robust, scalable, compliant, and fully supported post-launch. This is an operationally anchored role focused on site execution, deployment, and production support rather than early-stage discovery research.
Main Responsibilities: - Ensure compliance with ADM global safety standards and regulatory requirements, maintaining updated SOPs and laboratory safety documentation.
- Partner with QA/QC to ensure data integrity, method reliability, and GMP-aligned expectations across deployed technologies.
- Lead the translation and deployment of R&D technologies into Operations, including preparation and oversight of tech-transfer packages, specifications, and process documentation.
- Collaborate with Operations to troubleshoot issues, refine procedures, and support production teams during onboarding and scale-up of new materials or methods.
- Coordinate validation, verification, and performance qualification activities required for operational adoption and manufacturing readiness.
- Ensure alignment with Operations, QA/QC, Regulatory, Medical, Supply Chain, and CD&D, maintaining manufacturability, compliance, and business continuity.
- Develop timelines, risk assessments, and mitigation plans focused on operational execution and deployment readiness.
- Lead and develop a team of 65 scientists and technicians, setting expectations, coaching, and capability development aligned with operational excellence.
- Provide scientific oversight for manufacturability, stability, process behavior, and QC readiness, including development of operationally relevant data packages (stability, robustness, impurities, tolerances).
- Drive cross-functional communication and continuous improvement, preparing technical materials for stakeholders and enhancing R&D-OPS-QA workflows to support efficient and successful product deployment.
Skills & Abilities: - Operational Leadership: Proven ability to lead, coordinate, and develop multidisciplinary technical teams, driving execution excellence and manufacturing-ready outcomes.
- Cross-Functional Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills for effective collaboration with Operations, QA/QC, Regulatory, Medical, Supply Chain, and CD&D.
- Project & Deployment Management: Strong capability to manage tech-transfer, validation, troubleshooting, and production support activities from planning through execution.
- Organizational Strength: Ability to manage multiple programs simultaneously, ensuring structured documentation, workflow clarity, and operational discipline.
- Mentorship & Talent Development: Demonstrated success in coaching, guiding, and developing scientists and technicians toward high performance and operational excellence.
- Technical & Analytical Problem Solving: Skilled in diagnosing and resolving technical, operational, or quality-related issues using data-driven methodologies.
- Adaptability & Resilience: Flexible and effective in dynamic operational environments, adjusting to evolving technologies, priorities, and production requirements.
- Innovation & Continuous Improvement: Ability to identify, drive, and implement improvements across R&D-OPS-QA workflows, enhancing efficiency, quality, and deployment success.
Education & Experience: - PhD required in relevant scientific field.
- 8-12+ years industry experience, including 3-5+ years people leadership.
- Experience across R&D, Operations, QA/QC, Regulatory, Medical preferred.
- Experience with phage, spore-formers, and enzymes highly preferred
Excited about this role but don't think you meet every requirement listed? We encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings.
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Benefits and Perks Enriching the quality of life for the world begins by taking care of our colleagues. In addition to competitive pay, we support your diverse needs with a comprehensive total rewards package to enhance your well-being, including:
- Physical wellness - medical/Rx, dental, vision and on-site wellness center access or gym reimbursement (as applicable).
- Financial wellness - flexible spending accounts, health savings account, 401(k) with matching contributions and cash balance plan, discounted employee stock purchasing program, life insurance, disability, workers' compensation, legal assistance, identity theft protection.
- Mental and social wellness - Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and Colleague Giving Programs (ADM Cares).
Additional benefits include:
- Paid time off including paid holidays.
- Adoption assistance and paid maternity and parental leave.
- Tuition assistance.
- Company-sponsored training and development resources, such as LinkedIn Learning, language training and mentoring programs.
*Benefits may vary for bargained locations, confirm benefit eligibility with your recruiter.
Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Hourly and salaried non-exempt employees will also be paid overtime pay when working qualifying overtime hours.
If hired, employees will be in an 44at-will position44 and the Company reserves the right to modify base pay (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.
The pay range for this position is expected to be between:
