Mackenzie Stuart is partnering with a leading US manufacturer of flavors, dairy ingredients, concentrates and dry blends to appoint a Sample Services Lead. R&D & Innovation | Flavours & Food Ingredients My client is establishing a new Sample Services function within its centralized R&D and Innovation organization. We are seeking a technically capable, customer-focused Sample Services Lead to establish and manage this function, ensuring customers and commercial teams receive the right products, accurately prepared, fully documented and delivered with speed and consistency.
This is a highly visible opportunity for someone who combines food ingredient knowledge with strong organizational, customer service and team leadership skills.
The opportunity:
You will manage the end-to-end sample process, build a comprehensive physical and digital sample library, support sales teams and customers with product recommendations, and turn sample activity and customer feedback into insights that inform future product and innovation priorities. You will work closely with Sales, Applications, Culinary, Technology, Quality, Regulatory, Operations and Supply Chain teams, while leading and developing a small team of Sample Services Technicians.
Key responsibilities:
Customer sample services
Lead the preparation, coordination and timely dispatch of customer samples.
Manage incoming requests, priorities, timelines, product availability, documentation and shipment requirements.
Ensure samples are prepared, labelled, documented, packaged and shipped accurately and consistently.
Maintain clear visibility of sample status and proactively communicate delays, issues and alternative solutions. Product selection and customer support
Understand customer requirements and recommend suitable existing products for specific applications and technical needs.
Partner with Sales and customers to clarify requirements and provide technically credible recommendations.
Engage Applications, Culinary, Technology, Quality and Regulatory specialists when additional evaluation is required.
Identify requirements that cannot be met by existing products and transition them into the appropriate R&D development process. Sample library and product knowledge
Build and maintain a comprehensive physical and digital library of products and samples.
Organize products by product family, technology, sensory profile, functionality, application and customer need.
Develop clear product descriptions, recommended applications and potential uses.
Maintain sample inventory, availability, traceability, rotation and supporting documentation.
Create curated sample collections and demonstration kits for priority applications and customer requirements. Portfolio and innovation insights
Analyze sample requests, customer feedback, unsuccessful searches and recurring requirements to identify portfolio gaps.
Partner with Applications, Culinary, Technology and Sales leaders to identify opportunities for new products, applications, demonstrations and technology development.
Provide R&D leadership with insights into emerging customer needs and portfolio opportunities. Team leadership and continuous improvement
Lead, coach and develop 1–2 Sample Services Technicians.
Establish clear priorities, responsibilities, procedures and service expectations.
Develop and maintain SOPs, work instructions, quality checks and sample-management processes.
Track performance and improve turnaround time, accuracy, reliability and customer service.
What we are looking for:
Required experience and qualifications
A bachelor’s degree in food science, Dairy Science, Food Technology, Chemistry, Biology, Operations, Supply Chain or a related discipline. Equivalent relevant industry experience may also be considered.
At least five years’ relevant experience within food ingredients, flavors, dairy ingredients, applications, R&D, technical service, sample operations, laboratory operations, quality or a related environment.
Experience working with customers, Sales or commercial teams in a technical or product-support capacity.
The ability to understand ingredient functionality and translate customer requirements into product recommendations.
Experience coordinating multiple priorities in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment.
Strong organizational, documentation, data-management and communication skills.
Experience leading people, projects, workflows or technical operations. Desirable experience
Seven to ten years’ experience within the food or ingredients industry.
At least two years’ supervisory or team-leadership experience.
Experience with dairy ingredients, cheese powders, flavors, spray-dried ingredients, concentrates, fermentation, enzymolysis, dry blends or related ingredient systems.
Experience using Salesforce, ERP, LIMS, SharePoint, Power BI or comparable sample and inventory systems.
Working knowledge of GMP, GLP, HACCP, food safety, allergen controls, traceability, Certificates of Analysis and customer sample documentation.
Key competencies:
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
Strong customer focus and responsiveness.
Technical and product knowledge within food ingredients.
The ability to make sound decisions while balancing customer needs, technical fit, availability, speed and risk.
Clear and professional communication with customers, Sales, technical teams and leadership.
Strong collaboration and influencing skills across R&D, Commercial, Quality, Regulatory, Operations and Supply Chain.
Leadership, coaching and talent-development capability.
Business acumen and an understanding of how sample activity supports commercial growth.
Digital and data literacy.
An innovation mindset and commitment to continuous improvement.
What success looks like:
You will establish Sample Services as a responsive, technically capable and customer-focused R&D function that makes it easier for customers and Sales teams to access and understand the organization’s product capabilities. Success will be measured through:
Customer sample turnaround time and on-time dispatch.
Sample preparation, shipment and documentation accuracy.
Responsiveness to Sales and customer requests.
Availability and usability of priority samples.
Effectiveness of product recommendations.
Identification of meaningful portfolio gaps and future opportunities.
Continuous improvement in sample-management processes.
Development and performance of the Sample Services team. If you have experience across food ingredients, technical service, applications, sample operations or R&D and are excited by the opportunity to build a function from the ground up, we would welcome your application or a confidential conversation.
