Senior Manager, Production Development

MegaFood•Londonderry, NH

47d•$120,000 - $221,000•Hybrid

About The Position

MegaFood, a Certified B Corporation and 1% for the Planet member, leverages 50+ years of scientific experience to thoughtfully craft quality supplements made with real food & nutrients that your body knows how to absorb. Since our founding in 1973, MegaFood has been committed to providing people safe, high quality supplements and takes food safety and quality seriously. MegaFood products are tested for 150+ pesticides are NSF GMP certified and are made without the top 9 food allergens (milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish, and sesame.) MegaFood is also Certified Plastic Neutral through its partnership with rePurpose Global and has enabled recovery of over 740,000 pounds of nature-bound plastic since it became certified in 2023. Learn more at megafood.com or follow @megafood on Instagram, @realmegafood on TikTok and @MegaFood on LinkedIn. This role is not available for any form of immigration sponsorship or support, including completion of the Form I-983 training plan required for STEM OPT. Position Summary The Sr. Product Development Manager effectively manages all aspects of the formulation, product/process development, scale-up, and commercialization of dietary supplement dosage forms. Stays abreast of the competitive environment and explores product enhancements and new technologies to propose renovation and innovation ideas.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree or equivalent work experience in Chemistry, Pharmacy, Chemical Engineering, or related science
10-14 years related experience in leading product development of consumer package goods from bench-top to commercialization.
Must have strong formulation and process development skills.
Must have managed or supervised scientific professionals such as Formulators, Chemists or Process Engineers.
Thorough understanding of all aspects of the product development process (bench-top formulation, market research support, scale-up and commercialization).
Knowledge of gummy, tablet, softgel, powder, and two-piece capsule formulation and manufacturing processes.
Skilled in formulation and process scale-up.
Proficient in formulation/process verification using statistical analysis and Design of Experiments.
Demonstrated teamwork and interpersonal skills to collaborate with cross-functional team members such as Marketing, Operations, QA and QC, and outside vendors and consultants. Able to lead through cross-functional challenges to arrive at the best business outcome.
Strong project, organizational, and time management skills.
Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities to deliver on organizational objectives.
Skillful written and oral communicator, able to convey complex technical information to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Demonstrated ability to effectively motivate and manage a team, develop talent, and build for future organizational needs.

Nice To Haves

Advanced Degree or equivalent work experience is preferred
1-3 years related experience in nutraceutical, supplement, confectionery, or pharmaceutical development is preferred
Knowledge of dietary supplement GMPs and regulatory requirements is preferred.

Responsibilities

Manages portfolio of product development projects effectively, ensuring that all projects have clearly defined objectives, resources, and plans to deliver on-time launches.
Provides strong technical leadership to the Product Development team to deliver on all technical aspects of the NPD process, including initial research, bench-top to commercialization, utilizing standard best practices and procedures with formulation, scale-up, and commercialization support. Proposes and implements improvements to the product development process. Leads by example in collaborating with Marketing and other cross-functional disciplines to accomplish innovation and renovation goals.
Supports inQB8 and Nutrition Science during commercial and research Discovery projects and evaluates the technical feasibility of new concepts, leveraging a risk-based approach and “what needs to be true” mindset. Leverages consumer understanding and empathy to shape product concepts that will win with consumers.
Oversees the R&D production of market research and clinical samples under GMP conditions. Drives sensory testing early in product development to incorporate relevant feedback and deliver best-in-class products.
Explores, identifies, and develops innovative and proprietary technologies that have strategic significance. Collaborates with outside entities to develop and drive advancements in technology to deliver pipeline opportunities. Develops intellectual properties relating to composition, usage, and manufacturing process that will result in viable patents and/or competitive advantages, where appropriate.
Manages team of R&D Formulators to deliver against new product development objectives. Coaches Formulators to work independently within cross-functional project teams. Motivates and develops team members to drive high-quality, business-relevant innovations.
Drives early partnership between Product Development and Technical Operations to ensure seamless technology transfer and commercialization, collaborating on issue resolution throughout.
Brings insights to inform future development by staying abreast of the category, competition, processing technology, and nutritional ingredient trends.
Oversees management of R&D lab equipment allocation, maintenance, and calibration.