Associate Director Production, Proving Grounds │Pocomoke Farms(Pocomoke City, MD)

Summary The purpose of this position is to provide strategic leadership and overall accountability for Proving Grounds, Cobb's integrated product validation and commercialization platform while continuously evolving Proving Grounds capabilities, infrastructure, and technologies to meet future research, validation, and commercialization needs. Proving Grounds is a multi-site network of breeding, production, and support facilities designed to accelerate genetic progress, validate product performance under commercial conditions, generate management insights, and support the successful introduction of future products into the marketplace. This position leads a diverse team responsible for the execution of validation programs, operational excellence, infrastructure development, biosecurity, animal welfare, and financial stewardship while ensuring Proving Grounds delivers actionable results that support Cobb's research, development, and commercial objectives. Essential Functions Ensure the successful operation and integration of Proving Grounds facilities, including GP, GGP, PS, Strategic Leadership & Product Validation Develop and execute the long-term Proving Grounds strategy and roadmap to ensure facilities, capabilities, and resources evolve to support future research, validation, and commercialization needs. Collaborate closely with Genetics, Product Development, Research, Technical Service, Production, and Commercial teams to align Proving Grounds activities with strategic business priorities. Lead the execution of Proving Grounds programs to support accelerated genetic progress, product validation, and commercialization objectives. Deliver high-quality performance data, actionable insights, and operational learnings that strengthen product selection, commercialization decisions, and customer confidence Serve as the primary steward of the Proving Grounds platform, ensuring it remains a world-class environment for evaluating future products, reducing commercialization risk, and supporting Cobb's long-term growth strategy. Operational Excellence, Compliance & Asset Management Ensure the successful operation and integration of Proving Grounds facilities, including GP, GGP, PS, pullet, male-line, female-line, and support infrastructure assets. Ensure achievement of biosecurity, animal welfare, environmental compliance, and genetic integrity objectives across all Proving Grounds operations. Protect and maintain the integrity, security, and traceability of genetic materials, production data, and validation results. Monitor key performance indicators and implement corrective actions necessary to achieve operational, technical, financial, and project objectives. Identify, assess, and mitigate operational, biological, and project risks that could impact business continuity or validation outcomes. Champion continuous improvement, innovation, and the adoption of technologies that enhance validation capabilities and operational effectiveness. Partner with product launch and commercialization teams to ensure successful transition of future products from validation into commercial deployment. People Leadership, Financial Stewardship & Infrastructure Development Develop, lead, and maintain a highly capable team that promotes accountability, innovation, continuous improvement, and operational excellence. Promote and sustain a strong culture of safety, teamwork, and continuous improvement across all functions and locations. Provide leadership for capital projects, facility development, infrastructure expansion, and operational readiness across the Proving Grounds network. Develop and manage operational and capital budgets while ensuring efficient utilization of resources and timely delivery of strategic initiatives. Develop organizational capabilities, succession plans, and strategic partnerships that support long-term operational success. Relocation Assistance Eligible: Yes Work Shift: 1ST SHIFT (United States of America) Pay