Senior Director, Research & Development – Healthcare Nutrition (Dysphagia Focus)

Product Development Leadership (Healthcare Nutrition Focus)

• Lead the full lifecycle development of healthcare nutrition products, including thickened liquids, texture-modified foods, oral nutritional supplements, and hydration solutions for dysphagia patients.
• Ensure all products meet clinical requirements for safety, efficacy, palatability, and compliance with IDDSI standards.
• Drive formulation strategies that balance nutritional adequacy, sensory acceptance, stability, and ease of use in clinical and homecare settings.
• Collaborate with Operations and Quality to ensure scalable, compliant manufacturing processes (including consistency in viscosity and texture).
• Build a robust innovation pipeline addressing unmet needs in dysphagia, malnutrition, and related conditions (e.g., oncology, geriatrics, post-acute care).

Claims Development and Regulatory Alignment

• Lead the development of clinically relevant, evidence-based claims (e.g., swallowing safety, hydration support, nutritional adequacy, compliance with IDDSI levels).
• Partner with Regulatory and Medical Affairs to ensure claims meet requirements for healthcare nutrition, including FDA (e.g., FSMP considerations where applicable), global regulatory bodies, and healthcare institution standards.
• Establish rigorous internal processes for claims substantiation, documentation, and audit readiness.
• Translate clinical and scientific evidence into clear, defensible claims for healthcare professionals and caregivers.

Scientific and Clinical Evidence Strategy

• Define and execute the scientific roadmap supporting the dysphagia and healthcare nutrition portfolio.
• Design and oversee clinical studies, real-world evidence generation, and usability studies focused on:
• Swallow safety and aspiration risk reduction
• Patient compliance and acceptance
• Nutritional outcomes and hydration status
• Ensure alignment with clinical guidelines and frameworks (e.g., IDDSI, ASPEN, ESPEN).
• Identify evidence gaps and prioritize research investments to strengthen product differentiation.
• Build and manage collaborations with hospitals, long-term care facilities, speech-language pathologists (SLPs), dietitians, and academic partners.

Clinical and External Engagement

• Serve as a scientific leader and external ambassador in the field of dysphagia and healthcare nutrition.
• Engage with key opinion leaders (SLPs, RDs, physicians) to inform product design and validation.
• Support clinical education initiatives and contribute to publications, white papers, and conference presentations.
• Monitor emerging science, clinical practices, and regulatory changes impacting dysphagia management.

Innovation and Patient-Centric Design

• Drive patient- and caregiver-centered innovation, focusing on ease of preparation, consistency, taste, and adherence.
• Incorporate human factors and real-world use conditions (hospital, LTC, homecare) into product design.
• Identify opportunities for differentiation through format innovation, ingredient technology, and delivery systems.

Team Leadership and Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Build and lead a high-performing R&D team with expertise in formulation science, clinical research, and regulatory science.
• Partner closely with Regulatory, Quality, Marketing, and Commercial teams to ensure successful product launches and lifecycle management.
• Establish clear goals, KPIs, and development pathways for the R&D organization.
• Act as a key advisor to executive leadership on healthcare nutrition strategy and innovation.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated experience in dysphagia-related (e.g., thickening systems, texture-modified nutrition) or other medical nutrition product development.
• Strong understanding of healthcare nutrition regulatory pathways (including FSMP considerations, FDA, EFSA, etc.) and claims substantiation requirements.
• Strategic and patient-centric mindset with strong clinical orientation.
• Ability to translate complex clinical and scientific data into actionable product strategies.
• Strong cross-functional leadership and stakeholder management skills.
• Results-driven with high accountability and operational discipline.
• Excellent communication skills with both scientific and commercial audiences.

Required Qualifications

• BS Degree required in Food Science, Nutrition Science or related field.
• Advanced degree Preferred in Nutrition Science, Food Science, Clinical Nutrition, or related field.
• 12+ years of R&D experience in healthcare nutrition, clinical nutrition, or specialized dietary products.

Preferred Qualifications

• Deep knowledge of dysphagia management and IDDSI framework.
• Expertise in formulation challenges related to viscosity, stability, and sensory performance.
• Ability to lead clinical research and product commercialization in regulated environments.
• Experience designing and interpreting clinical and real-world evidence studies.