R&D Project Manager, Pet Nutritional Products

Description

Farnam Companies, a division of Central Garden & Pet, has an immediate opening for a dynamic and enthusiastic R&D Project Manager to develop products for the Farnam (farnam.com), Vita Flex (vitaflex.com), Horse Health (horsehealth.com), and Pet Health & Wellness product lines. Project work will be focused on equine and pet health, nutrition, and wellness. The R&D Project Manager will coordinate the development of new products from inception through completion. He/she may work on projects and/or products with cross-functional teams that require approval, licensing, or registration by a Federal or state regulatory body.

As a key contributor of our regulated products research and development team, this position is a remote role with frequent trips to Dallas, TX, Phoenix, AZ, and Council Bluffs, IA. If you are looking for the next step in your research and development career, this is an ideal role for you!

Measures Of Success

Please see our website for additional company information – www.central.com

• Initiate and assist with the development of products and processes with all intra and extramural functional areas (Formulations, Analytical Chemistry, Toxicology, Regulatory Affairs, Legal, Quality Assurance, Marketing, New Product Development, Technical Services, Procurement and Production) and coordinate the activities of these various functions.
• Formulate comprehensive development plans for each new proposed product and work closely during the development of products to assure that all involved parties are informed of time schedules and critical deadlines.
• Design suitable stability studies for feed supplements and other products to validate shelf life and ensure that the components within the product remain stable and label guarantees are supported for the duration of the expected shelf life of the product.
• Select suitable analytical laboratories to analyze for nutrient content of supplement type products.
• Provide technical support to the marketing department before and after product launch and review existing and new product labels and marketing collateral as requested by marketing and/or regulatory/legal departments.
• Collaborate with New Business Development and Marketing to investigate potential products and proposed product concepts for possible development in the U.S. and internationally.
• Conduct literature searches on active ingredients and summarize, particularly for claims associated with feed supplements.
• Work closely with regulatory affairs and other departments, (e.g., procurement, manufacturing, quality assurance, marketing) to assure that a product meets company requirements and applicable regulations.
• Participate in non-R&D related activities such as QA/Regulatory compliance, revisions or creation of new standard operating procedures.
• Attend scientific meetings, continuing education courses and keep abreast of professional publications and newest developments in the animal health industry.
  
  

Ideal Candidate Attributes

• Master of Science (MS) degree in Animal Sciences at minimum. Applicants with advanced degrees (PhD, DVM) are encouraged.
• Knowledge of NASC and AAFCO regulation of animal feeds, supplements and feed ingredients preferred.
• Working knowledge and background in equine science and nutrition and/or pet nutrition.
• Must have 5-10 years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience in research and/or product development, project management.
• Excellent computer software skills, to include word processing, spreadsheets and database management. Current environment is Microsoft Office.
• Must have excellent communication skills and be able to effectively operate in a team environment with both internal and external collaborators; successful candidates will utilize influencing skills to realize success in cross-functional teams.
• Must have excellent leadership skills as demonstrated by the ability to elicit superior performance from other stakeholders, many of whom are not technically trained and may not understand the regulatory and/or scientific basis for certain project management activities.
• Detail orientated
• Able to prioritize and manage multiple tasks
• Strong project management skills required
• Willingness to travel up to 30%
  
  

At Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ: CENT and CENTA), we believe home is at the center of our lives, and our employees are driven by our purpose to nurture happy and healthy homes. Our company is made up of thousands of people across North America, with an emerging footprint across the U.K., Mexico, China and Canada - all dedicated to helping gardens bloom bigger, pets live healthier and communities grow stronger. We are united by our mission to lead the future of the garden and pet industries…one blade of grass and one wagging tail at a time. Visit our website at www.central.com to learn more

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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