Director, R&D Qunol
About The Position
The Director of R&D Qunol serves as the senior scientific and innovation authority for the brand, accountable for shaping and delivering a long‑term innovation strategy that fuels sustainable, global growth. This role oversees the full ideation‑to‑launch lifecycle, in conjunction with marketing, for new products and claims, ensuring technical feasibility, scientific rigor, and competitive differentiation. The position requires a seasoned R&D leader with deep technical expertise, strong commercial acumen, and the ability to translate complex science and technology into compelling consumer value propositions. The Director of R&D is expected to influence at all levels of the organization—steering go/no‑go decisions, accelerating priority opportunities, and guiding the broader Opella community toward the brand’s strategic ambition.
Requirements
- Master’s degree in a scientific discipline required; Ph.D. or equivalent advanced academic qualifications strongly preferred.
- 12+ years of progressive R&D leadership experience in pharmaceutical, consumer healthcare, FMCG, and/or cosmetics industries, with a strong record of delivery to brand and business performance.
- Demonstrated success in developing, launching, and commercializing differentiated products within highly regulated categories.
- Deep expertise in the U.S. dietary supplement regulatory and legal environment.
- Strong command of portfolio management, including pipeline financials, milestone planning, risk assessment, and value proposition development.
- Proven ability to influence, collaborate, and lead across a global matrix environment with exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Advanced proficiency in applying analytical, scientific, and consumer insight methodologies to guide strategic decisions.
Responsibilities
- Define and lead the technical strategic direction for the Qunol innovation pipeline, including breakthrough and foundational claims.
- Ensure scientific strength and credibility to deliver meaningful product differentiation and protect brand leadership.
- Identify, champion, and evaluate emerging ingredient, formulation, and industry trends to inform long range strategy.
- Foster deep cross functional and cross regional collaboration within Qunol and across Opella to maximize scale, efficiency, and value creation.
- Serve as the primary scientific representative for the brand, acting as the single point of contact for strategic scientific direction and capability needs.
- Advise senior leadership on scientific, regulatory, and consumer trends that impact brand strategy and long term growth.
- Build and maintain a comprehensive, enterprise-level view of all innovation and business protection projects, ensuring transparent prioritization, resource allocation, and portfolio performance.
- Provide end to end leadership of global, regional, and local innovation programs—from opportunity identification through commercialization.
- Ensure delivery of a sustainable, insight driven innovation pipeline, including new product development, claim generation, and business protection initiatives.
- Evaluate and shape high impact innovations, including clinical substantiated claims, novel ingredients, differentiated formulation technologies, and sustainability driven solutions.
- Lead the development and optimization of frameworks, tools, and processes that enable rigorous, data driven decision making and clear trade offs across the portfolio.
- Influence cross functional partners within a matrixed environment to secure alignment, resolve complexity, and accelerate speed to market.
- Identify opportunities for cross fertilization, technology platforms, and scale building across programs to enhance ROI and brand competitiveness.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
