Head of Product Development

Ocean Spray•Lakeville, MA

57d•Hybrid

About The Position

Ocean Spray is hiring for a(n) Head of Product Development! We're a team of farmers, thinkers, creators, and doers. Whatever your title, whatever your role - it always comes back to this: we're a farmer-owned co-op where everyone rolls up their sleeves to get the job done. Three maverick farmers started it all - and we've been making our own way ever since. Position Location: We're all about flexibility! This will be a hybrid role based out of our corporate headquarters in Lakeville, MA or our Seaport Boston, MA location with Mondays and Fridays remote. Are you a visionary product creator who thrives at the intersection of innovation, collaboration, and consumer insight? Do you have the passion to turn bold ideas into breakthrough products that delight consumers and drive growth? If you're energized by translating consumer needs and marketing strategies into tangible, scalable solutions-and love rolling up your sleeves to bring imagination to life-this is the role for you. At Ocean Spray, the Head of Product Development leads our Product Development, Culinary, and Sensory teams in creating transformative food and beverage innovations. This role is central to driving top-line growth across global categories, including Beverages, Foods, Ingredients and new verticals for Ocean Spray. You'll also play a key role in optimizing bottom-line performance through strategic formula design and ingredient sourcing across USA, International, and Ingredient business units. The ideal candidate is a dynamic leader with a deep passion for product development and culinary arts, grounded in science and nutrition. You'll inspire cross-functional teams, champion agile development, and foster a sprint mentality to accelerate innovation from concept to commercialization. You bring a strong external lens, leveraging open innovation and strategic partnerships to enhance speed to market. Exceptional communication skills and a consumer-first mindset are essential.

Requirements

MS and/or PhD. Food Science or Food Engineering or related field
15+ years CPG industry experience with 5+ years managing teams
Proven ability to work across departments and influence org-wide decisions
Experience in shaping business or functional strategy.
Understanding of the application of food science and nutrition to food and beverage products

Responsibilities

Lead a Cross-Functional Technical Organization: Oversee Product Development (Beverage, Food, Licensing and Breakthrough Innovation), Culinary Sciences, and Sensory teams to deliver innovation with excellence and agility.
Drive Global Growth Initiatives: Guide development teams in executing key initiatives that fuel top-line and bottom-line growth across global markets.
Champion Executional Excellence: Ensure flawless execution from benchtop prototyping through to full-scale manufacturing, maintaining quality, consistency, and speed.
Foster a Collaborative Culture: Build and nurture a high-performing, inclusive team environment that encourages creativity, accountability, and shared success.
Collaborate Cross Functionally: Effectively collaborate to drive results, strategy and prioritization with cross functional teams such as Process Engineering, Packaging Engineering, Emerging Science & Nutrition, Regulatory Compliance, Food Safety & Quality, Marketing & Marketing Insights, Sales, PMO, Supply Chain & Procurement, Customer Affairs and Finance.
Serve as Strategic R&D Partner: Act as the primary R&D liaison and thought partner for Beverage and Ingredients Business Units, contributing to strategic planning and innovation roadmaps.
Deliver Financial and Operational Results: Ensure alignment with budget forecasts and manage resource deployment across Annual Operating Plan (AOP) and Long-Range Plan (LRP) priorities.
Leverage External Innovation Ecosystems: Identify and engage external partners and resources to accelerate initiatives through open innovation and enhanced speed to market.
Integrate Culinary, Science, and Technology: Drive product designs that blend culinary artistry with advanced technology, engineering, science, and nutrition to create differentiated consumer experiences.

Benefits

Complete insurance package on Day-1 that includes a plethora of health and wellness programs
Health, Dental and Vision insurance
Health savings account
Flexible spending account
Life and accident insurance
Employee assistance program
Telehealth services
1:1 health coaching
Supportive benefits for all the stages of your life
401(k) with up to 6% Company matching; additional potential discretionary match at year-end
Short-Term Incentive/Performance bonuses
Flexible scheduling options
Vacation pay, up to three weeks of time (pro-rated for your first year of employment)
Holiday pay for 12 holidays
Career development and growth opportunities
Tuition/Education assistance programs
Access to LinkedIn Learning
Scholarship programs for children of employees
Parental leave
Bright Horizons Family Solutions - Back-up care, tutoring, etc.
Adoption assistance
Bereavement leave
Up to $300 fitness reimbursement
Up to $300 massage reimbursement
Employee appreciation events
Employee discounts
Charitable giving