R&D Manager

GoMacro LLC•Madison, WI

11h•$125,000 - $140,000•Hybrid

About The Position

At GoMacro, Research & Development is a critical driver of innovation, technical excellence, and long-term business growth. As the Research & Development Manager, you will lead the R&D function and team, providing technical and people leadership across new product development, commercialization, product lifecycle management, and continuous improvement. This role is responsible for building the people, processes, and operating systems that enable the R&D organization to scale while delivering products that consistently meet GoMacro's quality, cost, manufacturability, and brand promise expectations. Working closely with Manufacturing, Engineering, Marketing, Innovation, FSQA, Procurement, Project Management, and Commercialization teams, you will translate business and consumer needs into scalable technical solutions. You will proactively identify technical and commercialization risks, develop practical mitigation strategies, and help drive informed decisions that keep projects moving forward. As a people leader, you will develop a collaborative, solution-oriented R&D team that embraces ownership, curiosity, and continuous improvement. You will establish priorities, technical standards, and scalable processes that strengthen organizational capability while positioning R&D as a trusted business partner that accelerates innovation, reduces risk, and supports sustainable business growth.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Product Development, Engineering, or a related field.
7+ years of experience in food product development, research & development, commercialization support, or technical operations within the food manufacturing industry.
3+ year of people leadership experience with demonstrated success coaching, developing, and building high-performing technical teams.
Experience leading cross-functional product development initiatives from concept through technical readiness for commercialization.
Experience developing products for commercial food manufacturing with a strong understanding of formulation, ingredient functionality, process development, and manufacturing operations.
Strong knowledge of food science, ingredient functionality, formulation, processing, and manufacturing principles.
Demonstrated ability to translate consumer and business needs into commercially viable technical solutions.
Experience balancing product quality, cost, manufacturability, and brand expectations throughout product development.
Strong understanding of product lifecycle management, continuous improvement, and technical problem-solving.
Experience developing technical documentation, specifications, manufacturing instructions, and validation protocols.
Knowledge of food safety, quality systems, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices.
Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships and influence cross-functional teams without direct authority.
Proven ability to identify risks early, evaluate options, and provide practical recommendations that enable informed business decisions.
Strong business acumen with the ability to balance technical excellence with speed, cost, scalability, and organizational priorities.
Excellent project leadership, prioritization, and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
Effective communicator who can translate complex technical concepts into clear business recommendations.
Passion for developing people and creating an inclusive, accountable, and high-performing team culture.
Growth mindset with a bias toward continuous improvement, learning, and organizational development.
Demonstrated ownership, accountability, and sound decision-making in a fast-paced environment.
Collaborative and solution-oriented leader who approaches challenges with curiosity, proactively identifies risks, and works across functions to develop practical solutions that move the business forward rather than simply identifying problems.

Nice To Haves

Experience establishing or improving technical processes, standards, documentation, and ways of working with an R&D organization is preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of Food Scientists and R&D Technicians.
Foster a culture of ownership, collaboration, curiosity, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Establish team priorities and allocate resources to support business objectives.
Develop team capabilities that strengthen GoMacro’s technical expertise and support future growth.
Lead the technical development and continuous improvement of products from concept through technical readiness for commercialization.
Own product formulation, ingredient functionality, process development, packaging technical requirements, product specifications, and technical documentation.
Ensure products consistently meet consumer expectations while achieving quality, cost, technical feasibility, manufacturability, and brand promise objectives.
Partner with the Commercialization & External Manufacturing Manager to ensure complete technical readiness and effective knowledge transfer for successful commercialization.
Provide technical leadership throughout the product lifecycle, driving continuous product, process, and packaging improvements.
Develop and continuously improve the processes, standards, and operating systems that enable R&D to scale with the business.
Establish best practices for technical documentation, specifications, formulations, process instructions, and knowledge management.
Standardize project execution, governance, and decision-making processes to improve efficiency and consistency.
Build systems that improve collaboration, visibility, and accountability across cross-functional teams.
Drive continuous improvement within the R&D function to increase organizational effectiveness and execution.
Build trusted partnerships across Manufacturing, Engineering, Marketing, Innovation, FSQA, Procurement, Commercialization, Project Management, and other cross-functional teams.
Translate business and consumer needs into scalable technical solutions.
Influence decisions by providing clear technical recommendations, balancing business objectives with technical considerations.
Proactively identify technical risks, communicate them early, and develop practical mitigation strategies that enable informed decisions and keep projects moving.
Support successful commercialization through effective technical partnership and knowledge transfer while collaborating closely with the Commercialization & External Manufacturing Manager throughout scale-up and launch.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen product quality, ingredient performance, manufacturability, and consumer experience.
Monitor product performance through its lifecycle and identify opportunities to improve quality, cost, consistency, and technical capability.
Lead technical investigations related to formulation, ingredients, processing, and product performance, providing practical recommendations and solutions.
Stay informed of emerging ingredients, technologies, consumer trends, and industry best practices to strengthen GoMacro’s innovation pipeline and technical capabilities.
Measure and improve R&D performance through technical excellence, efficient project execution, organization capability, and strong cross-functional partnerships.