Our Client is a growing health science company that is the leading Global Practitioner brand for Nutritional Products/Supplements. It’s a fun, fast paced environment with a relentless focus on serving our Healthcare Practitioners and their patients by delivering innovative nutritional solutions that prevent disease and promote wellness.

The Senior Director, Product Development will lead formulation and commercialization activities across the North American business. The position is responsible for aligning the strategic direction of the Product Development department with the overall business strategy, and will leverage ingredient and processing innovation in the development and commercialization of new, improved and cost-optimized formulations. The Senior Director will act as a technical and business mentor as well as a development coach for the Product Development team. This leader must persuade, influence, and inspire through both verbal and written communication as well as demonstrate strong leadership and collaboration skills with their many internal and external partners.

What you’ll do: 

• Join the North America Executive Leadership Team as the Product Development leader. Leading, planning, directing, and influencing commercial activities that support a product leadership culture.
• Partner with cross-functional leaders to develop comprehensive product development and lifecycle management plans that optimize value, time, resources, risk, and align with business objectives. Senior Director, Product Development
• Lead, mentor, coach and grow the Product development Food Science/Formulation and Process Engineering teams.
• Align work efforts around company strategic initiatives. Proactively engage the right resources in setting goals and delivering results. Lead indirectly through personal example.
• Leverage internal and external resources where needed to advance and commercialize initiatives
• Interface with Manufacturing and Quality teams to ensure products designed for manufacturability and supply chain efficiency where possible.
• Observe, assess, and identify opportunities for creating efficiencies in new product development process including, but not limited to formulation development, formulation software, piloting process, COGS, specification development and management, and technical transfers. Prioritize and implement necessary improvements.
• Adapt Agile methodologies and tools for deployment across new product development in manufactured goods.
• Work closely with Marketing and R&D for pipeline development & management.
• Interact with the Global R&D team.
• Track industry trends, relevant legislation, competitor activity and customer needs to ensure product compliance, relevance and dominance.
• Develop strategic partnerships (external with industry leaders and internal with R&D partners in global hubs) to generate innovation and new opportunities.
• Oversee the flavor improvement program.
• Optimizing manufacturing and tech transfer.
• Develop and manage annual budget.
• Continuously grow professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops and conferences, reviewing professional publications and conducting ingredient research.

What you’ll need:

The ideal candidate will have at least 12 years of experience in dietary supplement and/or medical food development and commercialization. The candidate should have a proven track record in a fast-paced environment. Practitioner or pharma setting preferred. This candidate will also have great scientific and personal skills and a strong desire for continuous learning and a willingness to embrace Agile mindset, methodologies and tools.

Demonstrated Knowledge and Capabilities (Must Have)

• Bachelors, Masters or PhD degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food Science, Food Technology or Related Field.
• Strong knowledge of US FDA Dietary Supplement and Medical Foods Regulations Effectively develop, scale up and commercialize powders, solid dosage, and 2 piece capsules forms
• Working knowledge of management of external partnerships (contract manufacturing) 
• Strong mentorship and coaching capabilities
• Synthesis and summary of complex information 
• Strong communication skills both oral and written 
• Experience with change management 
• Creative problem solving Senior Director, Product Development
• Strong desire to learn new information Desired Knowledge and Capabilities 
• Agile rituals and tools (SCRUM, Kanban, Design Sprint)
• Working knowledge of analytical assay methodologies, quality assurance 
• Working knowledge of US FDA Regulatory and Labeling requirements 
• Working knowledge of the manufacturing processes for solid dose and powder format products 
• Interest/grasp of personalized lifestyle medicine, natural medicine or related field