The Director will be the administrative leader of Food Innovation Center (FIC) programming at the Spur Campus of the National Western Center in Denver, Colorado and reports directly to the Deputy Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station.
The FIC is designed to fulfill Colorado State University’s land-grant mission, serving the agricultural community through entrepreneurial support in market and product development and a diverse range of engaged education and research services addressing global challenges of food safety and nutrition security.
The FIC will complement the capabilities and expertise of the Global Food Innovation Center facility on the CSU Fort Collins campus, utilizing an end-to-end suite of product innovation facilities that will feature pilot product development labs for meat, dairy and produce, a culinary development kitchen, and consumer research spaces including sensory testing booths and focus group rooms. CSU researchers will work alongside a diverse range of partners in these spaces to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in Colorado’s food and agriculture industries.
The Center will also host food safety and production short courses, food safety certification and extension programming for consumer groups in Colorado and abroad.
The position will be responsible for strategic oversight of program activities and operations, including developing a sustainable business model, leading fundraising efforts and engaging a diverse range of agribusiness stakeholders as clients and partners.
The successful candidate will have extensive knowledge and experience in food product design and development, accomplishments in creating and operationalizing a strategic vision, developing and growing priority relationships; generating and managing resources; and fostering a climate of inclusion among the community, business partners, faculty and staff.
The successful candidate will demonstrate an ability to achieve complex goals and objectives, which is evidence of high-level leadership, communication, and management skills.
Specific qualifications include:
- Bachelor’s degree in agricultural sciences, engineering, business, food science or closely related field that can include, but is not limited to, animal sciences, agricultural economics, agriculture engineering, dairy science, and food science and nutrition.
- Minimum of two years of industry experience.
- At least five (5) years of significant leadership and/or administrative experience.
- Significant experience in the development of sustainable business plans/models.
- Experience in food product R&D.
- Demonstrated experience in providing technical guidance and leadership in processing technologies and quality assurance.
- Demonstrated knowledge in USDA and FDA food safety regulations, best practices and auditing/inspection schemes.
- Demonstrated ability to develop effective relationships with all stakeholders.
- Demonstrated commitment to principles of diversity and inclusive excellence.
Preferred:
- Advanced degree(s) in related fields listed above.
- Significant leadership experience in new program and unit development for an organization.
- Demonstrated supervision/management, communication, interpersonal and customer-facing skills.
- Ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment while adhering to aggressive deadlines.
- Demonstrated experience in securing, managing, allocating, directing and/or monitoring large scale annual budgets/financial assets.
- Demonstrated ability to adaptively manage resources with creativity and innovation.
- Experience in recognizing, creating, and implementing plans to promote diversity and inclusion within an organization.
