Science & Innovation Customer Project Manager

About the role

Dawn Farms is hiring a Science & Innovation Customer Project Manager to join its Science & Innovation team at the company’s head office in Naas, County Kildare. This role is central to driving the stage-gate innovation journey, ensuring projects move forward on schedule and with clear communication across all stakeholders. The position is permanent and full-time, with working hours from Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm. Salary is DOE.

The company describes itself as an innovation-led employer that invests in building a highly capable and ambitious team. The role is suited to someone who can combine project leadership, technical food knowledge, and customer-facing communication to deliver successful innovation outcomes over time.

Project lifecycle

• Own assigned projects from the initial brief through to final review within the stage-gate innovation process.
• Move projects through the concept, feasibility, creation, testing, action, and review stages.
• Carry out opportunity assessments, business cases, market insight reviews, culinary reviews, and risk checks.
• Coordinate pilot trials and factory scale-ups, ensuring all required steps are completed in Navision.
• Support technologists by clearly briefing them on what is needed at pilot stage and attending trials whenever possible, with scale-ups being compulsory.
• Maintain the innovation pipeline each week and communicate delays or major changes promptly so timelines can be recovered where needed.
• Lead gate review meetings at each stage of the process and keep all reports and records up to date.
• Present project progress to internal teams regularly and contribute ideas for continuous improvement aligned with business strategy.

Customer and stakeholder engagement

• Lead customer presentations and site visits, including technical discussions and idea sharing based on consumer insight.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with key customer and supplier contacts.
• Use culinary and technical networks to support the innovation process and strengthen Dawn Farms’ position as a trusted problem-solver and supplier.
• Collaborate with internal and external technical experts who can support project delivery when needed.
• Attend daily and weekly meetings and keep stakeholders informed through clear updates and documentation.

Technical and operational expectations

• Demonstrate strong knowledge of food and meat science, food processing, food legislation, specifications, and recipe management.
• Complete sensory evaluations, benchmark comparisons, product reviews, and concept assessments in line with the company’s process.
• Keep all areas used for work, including desks, kitchens, pilot plant spaces, and factory equipment, clean and well maintained.
• Carry out any other reasonable duties assigned by the direct manager or head of department.

Experience and qualifications

• At least 3 years of experience in the food industry is required.
• A third-level qualification in Food Science or a related discipline is needed.
• A BSc in Food Science & Technology, or an equivalent qualification, is preferred.
• Previous experience in a similar role within a high-risk food environment is expected.
• Intermediate-level ability in Word, Excel, and Outlook is required.
• Navision experience would be an advantage, though it is not mandatory.

Personal attributes

• Strong project management and project leadership capability.
• Ability to self-manage, stay motivated, and work on own initiative.
• Collaborative approach and the ability to work well as part of a team.
• Excellent communication and meeting facilitation skills.
• Innovative, solution-focused mindset with a commitment to continuous improvement.
• High attention to detail, accuracy, and the ability to manage several priorities in a fast-moving environment.
• A flexible, hands-on attitude and a strong sense of ownership.
• Positive, can-do approach focused on delivering results for customers and the business.

Benefits

• 22 days of annual leave.
• Pension plan.
• Health insurance scheme.
• Subsidised canteen.
• Employee assistance programme with 24/7 support for counselling, financial guidance, consumer advice, life coaching, health information, autism support, parent coaching, and international employee support for employees and their families.
• Wellness programme.
• Maternity and paternity leave benefits.
• Training and development opportunities, plus career progression.
• Christmas savings scheme.
• Bike-to-work scheme.