Sr. Director, Research & Development

Overview

Position Overview

The Director, Research & Development, leads both product formulation and technical services within our R&D function for a fast-growing company. This role is responsible for the strategic development and execution of new product formulation across a wide range of delivery systems including tablets, hard shell capsules, soft gel powders and gummies. This individual will oversee the end-to-end development of innovative nutraceutical products while also providing technical services across the business, including process optimization, troubleshooting, and customer-facing formulation and client technical support.

 

This individual will serve as cross-functional leader who works closely with Business Development, Sales, Quality, Regulatory, Supply Chain and Manufacturing to ensure that products meet the highest standards of quality, efficacy and safety while aligning with customer requirement and market trends.

Responsibilities

Specific Responsibilities

 

• Strategic Leadership
• Collaborate with senior leadership to align R&D efforts with overall business goals and market needs
• Lead, mentor, and grow a cross-functional team of scientists, formulation experts, and technical service specialists and identify candidates for succession planning.
• Cultivate a high-performance culture through mentorship, coaching, and continuous professional development
• Implement team cross-training programs to enhance skillsets, promote collaboration, and build organizational resilience
• Foster a collaborative environment that bridges R&D, manufacturing, quality, marketing, and commercial teams
• Establish KPI’s for formulation timelines, technical deliverables and product performance metrics.
• Identify areas of improvement that can translate to efficiency, cost savings or cost avoidance.
• Manage R&D budgets, resource allocation, and external partnerships (e.g, ingredient suppliers, academic collaboration)
• Product Development
• Oversee the research, design, and formulation of new nutraceutical products (capsules, tablets, powders, gummies, soft gel.)
• Conduct pilot trials, stability testing, ingredient compatibility assessments, and efficacy studies and support scale -up in coordination with Manufacturing, Quality and Regulatory teams.
• Evaluate and recommend new ingredients, delivery technologies, manufacturing methods based on market trends and scientific research.
• R&D Technical Services
• Provide expert technical support for internal teams (production, QA/QC, regulatory) and external clients/customers
• Lead problem solving efforts to troubleshoot formulation or manufacturing issues, optimizing processes for scale-up and commercial production
• Support technology transfers from R&D to manufacturing, ensuring seamless transition and documentation
• Collaborate with sales and customer service to address technical inquiries and provide formulation guidance for contract manufacturing clients
• Participate in customer audits, technical presentations, and solution-driven discussions with key partners
• Regulatory & Quality Compliance
• Ensure all formulations and R&D practices comply with relevant regulations (FDA, GMP, NSF, Health Canada, EFSA, etc.)
• Strong understanding of 21 CFR Part 111, 21 CFR Part 101, Prop 65, other federal and state regulations and experience with clean label, vegan, allergen-free formulation approaches.
• Work with Regulatory Affairs to support label claims, documentation, certification requirements and supplier qualification.
• Keep up to date with evolving regulatory landscapes and scientific literature in the nutraceutical space.
• Project & Resource Management
• Manage R&D project timelines, budgets, staffing, and resource allocation
• Implement and maintain systems to track performance, milestones, and technical documentation
• Provide regular updates and strategic input to executive leadership on R&D priorities and outcomes

 

General Responsibilities

• Poses no direct threat to the health or safety of himself/herself, of others, or property. Defined as a significant risk of substantial harm that cannot be eliminated or reduced to an acceptable level by reasonable accommodation.  
• Requires regular and timely attendance.
• Performs such individual assignments as management may direct.  
• Other duties as assigned. 

Qualifications

Education, Experience, and Licenses:

• Minimum of a master’s degree in Nutritional Science, Foo