Senior R&D Manager
For over 75 years, Lavo has manufactured, distributed, and marketed high-quality laundry and household cleaning products across Canada and the Northeastern United States. Lavo is a well-recognized company, thanks to popular brands such as La Parisienne, Hertel, Comet, and Artic Power, as well as numerous private-label products manufactured for major Canadian grocery chains. The company employs approximately 350 people in Quebec: at the parent company in East Montreal - home to our head offices and a 135,000-square-foot plant built in 2001 - and at the Qualipak plant in Laval, which focuses on plastic blow molding production. To integrate its business processes, Lavo utilizes JD Edwards ERP infrastructure.
Role:
Reporting directly to the General Manager (Canada), the incumbent is responsible for overseeing R&D activities - specifically product development for the Canadian and North American markets - as well as certain regulatory affairs functions.
The incumbent organizes, plans, and coordinates R&D activities related to product development, new raw material validation, cost or performance optimization of product formulations, and product diversification, all in alignment with company objectives.
The Senior R&D Manager coordinates the search for new raw materials - whether equivalent or innovative - and ensures technical support is provided to production teams, chemists, technicians under their supervision, and the quality department.
The Senior R&D Manager ensures adherence to annual reporting schedules and reviews reports prior to submission. They also ensure product regulatory compliance and represent the company’s interests before various government bodies and industry committees dealing with regulatory affairs.
Team Management and Leadership
- Supervise and develop the team of chemists, scientists, and technicians (6 employees).
- Conduct staff performance evaluations.
- Set clear objectives, provide direction and guidance, and regularly monitor progress.
- Recruit, train, evaluate, and mentor the next generation of talent.
- Plan and manage R&D priorities in collaboration with relevant departments.
Research & Development (R&D)
- Manage R&D priorities established in collaboration with the Director of Quality, R&D, Regulatory Affairs, and Sustainability.
- Lead the work of R&D technicians and chemists to ensure objectives, budgets, and timelines are met.
- Monitor R&D progress and track task completion.
- Oversee formulation design, validation, and optimization in alignment with company objectives.
- Adapt laboratory formulas for industrial-scale production and coordinate trials.
- Identify innovative active ingredients and validate new raw materials.
- Track project progress, analyze data, and make technical decisions.
- Communicate information clearly and logically; explain complex concepts and ideas simply and precisely.
Regulatory Affairs
- Ensure regulatory compliance of products, labels, and claims.
- Review and validate annual declarations prior to submission to the competent authorities.
- Maintain company certifications with external bodies.
- Represent the company before government agencies and industry committees.
Quality control
- Collaborate closely with the Quality team on the management of non-conformities.
- Recommend and validate required adjustments to manufactured batches.
- Support the implementation and validation of quality control methods.
Product Specifications
- Define, confirm, and communicate finished product specifications.
- Approve formula changes, deviations, and waivers.
- Validate methods, development processes, and control tests.
- Monitor annual finished product testing (particularly for private labels).
- Provide technical documentation to internal and external clients (forms, platforms).
Technical and Technological transfer
- Support production during new launches or process modifications.
- Resolve manufacturing issues by providing technical support.
- Support the engineering team with the introduction of new raw materials and capital investments (Capex).
Innovation & strategy
- Work with the Marketing department to adjust and improve products based on company objectives and consumer expectations;
- Identify growth opportunities and innovative projects;
- Collaborate with co-packers and explore joint development opportunities;
- Participate in "Strategic Arenas" strategy planning and development stage-gate reviews;
- Serve on innovation committees.
Sourcing & Procurement
- Validate and approve new raw materials.
- Source new suppliers and evaluate their reliability.
- Negotiate costs and collaborate with the Procurement team to optimize expenses.
- Monitor raw material prices on a monthly basis and develop strategies to manage fluctuations.
- Contribute to partnership strategies with key suppliers to support innovation and competitiveness.
- Support the purchasing and procurement department with strategic projects.
Cross-Functional Collaboration, Customers, Procurement
- Collaborate with Marketing, Sales, Quality, Production, Purchasing, and Finance.
- Provide technical support to external customers (inquiries, documentation, platforms).
- Facilitate communication between departments and with customers.
Monitoring budget and risks management
- Monitor technological and regulatory trends. • Manage budgets allocated to R&D and regulatory affairs.
- Identify and assess risks related to compliance, safety, IP, and the market.
- Develop strategies to address fluctuations in raw material costs.
Education, experience, knowledge:
- Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field
- 7–10 years of direct experience in areas related to research, innovation, manufacturing environments, and laboratory work
- 3–5 years of experience managing technical teams (chemists, laboratory technicians, project managers, regulatory affairs specialists)
- Bilingual (French, English)
- Full-time position based at the Montreal East site
Specific skills:
- Ability to build excellent working relationships – exceptional communicator
- Strategic approach and influential leadership
- Strong planning, organizational, and adaptive skills
- Meticulousness, professional ethics, analytical mindset, and attention to detail
- Action-oriented with decision-making capabilities
