Research & Development - Dietary Supplements, Starch, Confectionery Nutraceuticals

About the Role

The Director of Product Development is a founding, hands-on leader who owns Gummi World's product innovation pipeline from concept through commercialization. This role leads the development of great-tasting, consistently manufacturable dietary supplement and confectionery nutraceutical products — starch and starchless gummies, marshmallows, and other confectionery formats, with capsules and powders a plus — while building the processes, partnerships, and team that will scale with the company. This is a highly visible, customer-facing role: the ideal candidate is as comfortable running a flavor tasting or troubleshooting a batch on the floor as they are presenting to a client or leading a cross-functional strategy meeting. Success requires strong technical depth, sound business judgment, and the emotional intelligence to build trust with clients, suppliers, and internal teams alike.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end product innovation process, from concept development through formulation, testing, and commercialization
• Lead formulation and development of starch and starchless gummies, marshmallows, and other confectionery formats (e.g., chews, jellies, pastilles), with capsules and powders a plus, ensuring products are delicious, safe, and consistently manufacturable at scale
• Be hands-on in the lab and on the production floor — running trials, troubleshooting batches, and working directly alongside R&D and manufacturing teams to solve real-time problems
• Serve as a primary technical and strategic point of contact for clients, building strong, trust-based relationships and clearly translating client needs into actionable development plans
• Lead product tastings and sensory evaluations, analyzing and recording results in a rigorous, data-driven manner to guide formulation decisions
• Collaborate closely with the Regulatory team on formulations and claim substantiation to ensure compliance and marketability
• Maintain and continuously build out the branded ingredient and raw material database, researching ingredients based on functional and physical properties
• Partner with Quality on new product specifications, change controls, and label initiation forms
• Scope and evaluate secondary contract manufacturers to match and scale existing formulations
• Forge and maintain relationships with key suppliers and the purchasing team to stay ahead of ingredient, technology, and packaging trends
• Guide and mentor junior R&D and product development team members as the team scales
• Bring a solutions-first, customer-facing mindset to every stage of development — identifying obstacles early and driving practical, timely resolutions
• Represent Gummi World's innovation capabilities in client and prospect meetings, building confidence and long-term partnerships
• Contribute to innovation, troubleshooting, and brainstorming for future platform growth in key consumer need-states
• Maintain professional and technical expertise through regulatory training, industry publications, professional networks, and relevant societies
• Support broader company growth initiatives, acting as a strategic partner to Business Development and executive leadership

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree (BA/BS) from a 4-year accredited institution in Food Science, Biology, Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field; advanced degree a plus
• 8+ years of experience in R&D, Product Development, Manufacturing, and/or Quality Assurance within the food and/or supplement industry, including experience operating at a senior or leadership level
• Advanced, hands-on knowledge of confectionery formulation — starch and starchless gummies required; marshmallows and other confectionery formats (e.g., chews, jellies, pastilles) strongly preferred; capsules and powders a plus — with a proven track record developing clean-label, delicious products at commercial scale
• Demonstrated experience leading or building a product development function, including mentoring team members and establishing scalable processes
• Strong, demonstrated customer-facing experience — comfortable presenting to clients, understanding their needs, and translating those needs into technical solutions
• High emotional intelligence with excellent interpersonal skills; able to build trust quickly with clients, suppliers, manufacturers, and internal teams
• Strong analytical, written, and organizational skills, with the ability to manage complex technical information and multiple concurrent projects in a fast-paced environment
• Industry-leading understanding of ingredient functionality, product evaluation, health and nutrition, food manufacturing processes, microbiology, and quality assurance principles
• Demonstrated technical sales experience with a wide range of clients preferred
• A genuinely hands-on, solutions-oriented approach — willing to be in the lab, on the floor, and in front of the client as needed

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

• Full-time, in-person role based at Gummi World's Chandler, AZ facility
• Regular time split between lab/R&D space, production floor, and office/administrative work
• Frequent client-facing interactions, including in-person meetings, tastings, and presentations
• Some travel may be required to support client visits, supplier meetings, or contract manufacturer evaluations

What Success Looks Like

• Gummi World's product pipeline consistently delivers delicious, high-quality, and commercially scalable formulations
• Clients see this role as a trusted technical partner who understands their needs and delivers on them
• Cross-functional teams — Regulatory, Quality, Manufacturing, and Business Development — view this role as a collaborative, solutions-first leader
• New products move efficiently from concept to commercialization with minimal rework or delay
• The product development function matures and scales as Gummi World grows, with clear processes and a strengthening team