Senior R&D Engineer – Cereal

As the Senior Research and Development Scientist/Engineer for Innovation, Technology, and Quality (ITQ) you will be responsible for the execution of a variety of projects including: new product strategy, core news strategy, concept development, product formulation, and process development for Adult Cereal Branded Products (Wheaties, Chex, Fiber One, and Nature Valley) . You will also be responsible for coordinating HMM efforts and pipeline development with Supply Chain and the ITQ Technology teams for the entire Cereal Portfolio inclusive of Cheerios, Adult Brands, and Kid Joy. In this role, you will have the unique opportunity to impact the ITQ function by leveraging your strong technical, influence, innovation, and project management skills to support conceptualization of new product ideas, core news, as well as continue a strong tradition of delivering $70MM+ cost saving ideas through charter and in market execution. You will closely collaborate with the Morning Foods Cereal Business team on ideation, refinement, and execution. Strong partnership with ITQ Technology teams will be required to build out a 3+ year pipeline for continued holistic margin management (HMM) excellence. The right candidate for this role will leverage strong innovation and learning mindset, project leadership, and technical problem-solving skills, to create new and continuously improve existing products and processes. The projects you manage in this role will provide you with technical depth and breadth across the full range of cereal technologies, as well as cross-functional exposure. In this role you will have the opportunity to develop the ability to influence across organizations at multiple levels, advance technical possibilities, and develop leadership skills as a subject matter expert on a business team. Key Career Experiences Gained: The following experiences are commonly gained in this type of ITQ role. Functional: Consumer First Design, Technology, Experimentation, Total Product Experience Leadership: Matrix Relationship Management, Cross-Functional Team Leadership Broadening: Multi-Functional, Multi-Business KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES Provide project leadership for Adult Brand Cereal ITQ (New Product Development, Core News, HMM)- design and develop products that meet consumer and business needs within manufacturing considerations Build and leverage consumer empathy for our target consumers Develop sound technical plans, collaborate with peers to strengthen approach, and build a pipeline of activities to support business priorities. Develop successful cross-functional partnerships to effectively manage projects from strategy charter to steps needed to begin commercialization Lead pipeline development to deliver on annual targets for Cereal. Connect across the ITQ team to ensure chartered projects are advancing to deliver in year targets. Manage multiple projects and flex prioritization based on business needs Champion food safety and product quality from product design through production Collaborate with Operations and key suppliers to provide line of site on technical feasibility MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Food Science, Packaging, Chemical Engineering 5+ years of experience in product development or an applied science Travel (10%) Proven ability to deliver executional excellence, facilitate cultural learning, and develop technical and scientific rigor Ability to collaborate in a cross-functional and external environment and provide key product guidance Ability to be agile and adapt to multiple situations with learning mindset PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Masters or Ph.D. in Food Science degree Demonstrated ability to lead technically driven projects Strong experience and technical background in human food or pet food Innovative thinker, creative, willing to challenge established methods and beliefs Self-starter with a strong bias for action, as well as skills for problem-solving and troubleshooting ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. General Mills will not sponsor applicants for a U.S. work visa. Relocation support will not be offered to applicants within the United States. International relocation or international remote working arrangements (outside of the US) will not be considered. The location for this role is Minneapolis, MN - remote work-at-home applications within the United States will not be considered. COMPANY OVERVIEW We exist to make food the world loves. But we do more than that. Our company is a place that prioritizes being a force for good, a place to expand learning, explore new perspectives and reimagine new possibilities, every day. We look for people who want to bring their best — bold thinkers with big hearts who challenge one other and grow together. Because becoming the undisputed leader in food means surrounding ourselves with people who are hungry for what’s next.