Manager, Core Hydration Product Development

Liquid I.V. • El Segundo, CA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Liquid I.V. is seeking a creative, highly technical, and execution-focused Product Development Manager to lead and execute resilience and cost-saving initiatives for the core business. This role reports to the Director of Core Hydration Product Development and will manage and be supported by 1-2 PD Scientists. The ideal candidate will have prior people management experience, a demonstrated ability to coach, mentor, and develop technical talent, and expertise in product development of powdered beverages. This individual will be an integral team member of the LIV R&D Organization, collaborating cross-functionally with various levels of the organization and Unilever counterparts. The role requires a hands-on formulator and technical leader capable of designing and executing experiments independently, as well as communicating findings to both technical and non-technical partners.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in food science or related field highly desired.
• Consumer obsessed with a record of accomplishment of success in developing amazing products for iconic brands.
• Deep technical expertise in areas such as powdered beverages, nutritional supplements, flavor design and development, specification development, formulation management.
• Strong working knowledge of food science, health and nutrition, food manufacturing processes, quality assurance principles, product development systems and processes, ingredient supply market, as well as scale up and product commercialization.
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to create both scrappy & detailed experiments, collect and interpret data, draw valid conclusions, and propose solutions.
• Experience and proficiency in executing strong co-development agreements with external partners with scope in: IP protection, negotiations, cost structure, and SOW development.
• A poised technical leader with the ability to influence and has strong oral/written presentation skills.
• Strong working knowledge of R&D program management.
• Agile and adaptable to change and demonstrates ability to be self-motivated and to motivate others amidst aggressive business objectives and priority shifts.
• Former people manager strongly preferred, with experience leading and developing technical or R&D teams.
• Proven ability to coach talent, delegate effectively, and foster a high-performing team culture.
• Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical management of core hydration business continuity, cost savings, and brand improvement projects while upholding product quality and consumer experience.
• Deliver including ideation with marketing, prototyping, specification development, technical transfer, and in-market support.
• Partner with supply chain, procurement, and commercialization teams to identify and implement cost savings initiatives related to ingredients, formulations, manufacturing processes, and packaging.
• Collaborate with quality assurance on root cause investigations and implementation of corrective actions for product quality and production challenges.
• Deliver product superiority measures with innovation, cost savings, and resilience projects.
• Plan and execute stability/analytical studies for self-owned projects.
• Oversee operations of the product development space, including organization, ingredient management, SOP development, equipment calibration, and advancing documentation processes.
• Support implementation of digital R&D systems, documentation processes, and best practices.
• Collaborate with scientific affairs and sensory science partners to deliver robust science-based formulations.
• Monitor and maintain on-time delivery of critical project milestones, lead internal communication with cross-functional partners as it relates to product briefs, formula evaluation, and other deliverables.
• Directly manage and coach Product Development Scientists, including setting clear priorities, project ownership, and development goals.
• Develop and support junior members of the team to foster creative and science-based product design.
• Partner with manager and colleagues to continuously optimize the PD processes with the goal of delivering smart agile execution, while maintaining product quality & superiority throughout the process.
• Develop strong working relationships with innovation partners, suppliers, and contract manufacturers to meet and/or exceed timelines.
• Travel as necessary to represent the team at industry conferences, tradeshows, supervise formula development, pilot, and/or production runs, and work onsite at CM R&D facilities as needed to meet project approval milestones.

Benefits

• 100% company-paid medical, dental and vision insurance for employees (PPO, HMO and Kaiser options).
• A 401k plan with company match, short and long-term disability coverage.
• A generous PTO and sick policy that includes 13+ paid annual holidays.
• Wellness classes (fitness, mental health, nutrition, finance, etc.).
• An Employee Assistance Program, including membership for guided meditation for all employees.
• Monthly tech and wellness reimbursement.
• An infinite supply of Liquid I.V. for endless hydration!

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager