Job Description

Senior Manager, R&D - Kennesaw, GA

Job Purpose
The 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 ≥5 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

Before applying for an exempt, non-exempt or hourly job opportunity, you are expected to initiate a discussion and share your intentions with your supervisor. * If you’ve been in your current position for more than 18 months, supervisor approval is not required. * If you’ve been in your current position for less than 18 months, verbal supervisor approval is required.
​Hiring Manager-Joan Colom Comas ​
Recruiter- Amy Schroeder

City

Kennesaw

State

GA - Georgia

Location Country

United States

About ADM

At ADM, we unlock the power of nature to provide access to nutrition worldwide. With industry-advancing innovations, a complete portfolio of ingredients and solutions to meet any taste, and a commitment to sustainability, we give customers an edge in solving the nutritional challenges of today and tomorrow. We’re a global leader in human and animal nutrition and the world’s premier agricultural origination and processing company. Our breadth, depth, insights, facilities and logistical expertise give us unparalleled capabilities to meet needs for food, beverages, health and wellness, and more. From the seed of the idea to the outcome of the solution, we enrich the quality of life the world over. Learn more at www.adm.com.

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 “at-will position” 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:

$70,400.00 - $129,000.00

Salaried Incentive Plan

The total compensation package for this position will also include annual bonus