Director, Product Development - Edibles

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute the company's new product strategy in alignment with overall business objectives. Drive innovation and new product development efforts to meet market demands and gain a competitive edge.
• Take product briefs from concept to finished formulation, defining and assessing project scope, ingredient and flavor direction, feasibility, and project financials.
• Recruit, mentor, and manage a team of professionals, including food scientists. Foster a collaborative and innovative work environment, encouraging cross-functional collaboration with other departments, including innovation, quality assurance, and procurement, and implementation to bring new products to market successfully.
• Set clear performance expectations, conduct regular performance reviews, and provide constructive feedback to ensure constant growth of our GTI team members.
• Oversee the end-to-end product development process, from ideation to commercialization. Build, lead, and continuously refine a structured sensory sampling and evaluation process, gathering and synthesizing internal and consumer feedback to guide formulation decisions.
• Vet, qualify, and approve new ingredients and suppliers for flavor, function, safety, cost, and supply reliability before they are incorporated into product formulations. Develop and own product specifications (formulas, flavor profiles, sensory attributes, and finished product parameters), ensuring they are accurate, current, and clearly communicated.
• Partner closely with the Implementation team throughout formulation handoff, fostering a collaborative, positive working relationship between the two teams. Be onsite for the first scale-up of every new formula, providing hands-on guidance and product expertise as the Implementation team translates the recipe into a real manufacturing run. Remain engaged and available to troubleshoot with the Implementation team if formulation-related issues arise in the field as they scale Product Development’s recipes.
• Manage the team’s offsite leased test kitchen, the dedicated space where all product development work takes place, including the equipment within it and all processes and procedures. Serve as the primary point of contact with the landlord, coordinating any building accommodations, maintenance, or repairs needed to keep the test kitchen running smoothly.
• Ensure safe kitchen practices, food safety standards, and proper equipment maintenance are consistently followed throughout the test kitchen.
• Stay current with industry trends, consumer preferences, and emerging technologies to drive innovation. Conduct market research and competitor analysis to identify growth opportunities. Engages with cannabis and CPG current events to support recommendations of new products.
• Implement project management best practices to track progress, timelines, budgets and milestones for product development initiatives. Maintain a deep understanding of the technical aspects of the projects and products the team is working on, and educate and share your technical knowledge with cross-functional partners to help them better design products and projects.
• Develop and manage the budget for all projects flowing through product development, ensuring efficient allocation of resources to support PD initiatives. Explore cost-saving opportunities in ingredients and processes.
• Work with QA and Compliance to ensure that all products meet relevant food safety, labeling, and regulatory requirements. Implement and maintain robust quality control processes and procedures for new products. Address and resolve quality and compliance issues.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Food Science, Culinary Science, Chemistry, or a related field; Master’s degree or PhD strongly preferred.
• 10+ years of leadership experience.
• Food science or product development experience in a CPG or food/beverage setting, including hands-on formulation and sensory evaluation.
• Proven track record in accomplishing significant and impactful business results.
• Demonstrated high level of leadership, relationship management, and communication skills; ability to work effectively with global teams.
• Ability to be a technical and strategic leader as well as a hands-on implementer.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with coworkers and management.
• Familiarity with FDA and OSHA regulations.
• Understanding & adhering to applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations as they pertain to the industry, safety regulations, local municipal codes and organizational rules, regulations, directives and standard operating procedures.
• Highly motivated, self-directed, innovative and able to work independently or among teams with keen judgement, common sense and resourcefulness.
• Adapts and thrives in a demanding, fast-paced environment.
• Possesses a high level of critical thinking.
• Operates with a high level of professionalism and integrity, including dealing with confidential information.
• Must understand and comply with the rules, regulations, policies, and procedures of Green Thumb.
• Must have a solid understanding of the Cannabis laws, rules and regulations and passion to further their understanding and knowledge of the industry and the laws.