Product Development Manager

Zevia • Los Angeles, CA

4h • $115,000 - $130,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Manager, Product Development plays a key leadership role in shaping the future of Zevia’s portfolio. This role will shape how new products come to life and how existing products continue to evolve – bringing together creativity, technical rigor, and cross-functional partnership to turn ideas into scalable, market-ready solutions. Operating at the intersection of innovation, science, and execution, this role helps craft the next chapter of Zevia’s product development work while advancing our commitment to better-for-you beverages.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science or a related scientific discipline
• 5+ years of experience in the beverage industry with product development and regulatory responsibilities
• Demonstrated experience formulating with stevia and qualification as a trained stevia taster, with the ability to evaluate sweetness, bitterness, and overall sensory impact across liquid applications
• Experience working within structured Stage Gate or NPD processes
• Working knowledge of FDA regulations and ingredient compliance
• Experience developing talent, leading teams, and managing cross-functional relationships
• Familiarity with food and beverage laboratory SOPs, safety, and GLP protocols
• Familiar with scientific principles in beverage and ingredient development, including sweetener systems
• Regulatory background and experience with current FDA standards
• Hands on experience with Operations or Mechanical processes
• Experience managing vendor partners
• Excellent communication skills and ability to distill complex data into clear and actionable narratives

Responsibilities

• Identify white space opportunities – including emerging trends – within the beverage category and develop innovation concepts informed by consumer insights, market data, the evolving ingredient landscape, and business needs
• Lead all aspects of product development to conceptualize, design, and develop new products, translating product briefs into great tasting, scalable formulations that meet cost targets
• Apply deep experience working with stevia‑sweetened formulations to inform formulation decisions and product optimization
• Evaluate existing flavor lineup for opportunities to enhance taste and improve costs
• Conduct benchtop trials to assess solubility, dispersion, flavor delivery, and shelf-life indicators
• Apply iterative testing and refinement to improve product performance across storage and distribution conditions
• Collaborate cross-functionally throughout the innovation process to ensure that all projects stay on strategy, on budget, and on time
• Support scale-up and commercialization processes at co-pack facilities

Benefits

• A collaborative environment, where everyone contributes and delivers
• A place where you can grow, develop and learn
• Competitive compensation that includes a base salary, discretionary bonus and stock options. See below for range.
• A comprehensive benefits package which includes:
• An array of medical plans
• Dental
• Vision
• Group Life Insurance
• Short-term disability + Long-term disability
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Medical, Dependent and Limited Use
• Health Savings Account
• Accident Insurance
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Hospital Indemnity Insurance
• Legal Insurance
• Travel Assistance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Pet Insurance
• 401k Plan (Traditional and Roth)
• Vacation, Personal/Sick Days, and Holidays
• Professional development contributions
• And of course, all the Zevia you can drink!

What This Job Offers

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