Sr Director, Product Development

fairlife, LLC is a Chicago-based nutrition company that creates great-tasting, nutrition-rich and dairy products to nourish consumers.

With over $3B in annual retail sales, fairlife’s portfolio of delicious, lactose-free, real dairy products includes: fairlife® ultra-filtered milk; Core Power® High Protein Shakes, a sports nutrition drink to support post-workout recovery; fairlife® nutrition plan™, a nutrition shake to support the journey to better health.

A wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola company, fairlife, LLC has been recognized by both Fast Company and Nielsen for its industry leading innovation.

To learn more about fairlife and its complete line of products, please visit fairlife.com.

job purpose: The Senior Director of Product Development will lead the end-to-end innovation, formulation, and commercialization of high protein, milk-based beverages. This role is responsible for translating consumer insights, nutritional science, and business strategy into scalable, differentiated products that win in the marketplace. The position provides strategic and technical leadership across R&D, product design, process development, and cross functional execution. This leader will serve as the technical authority for dairy based protein beverages, ensuring products meet targets for nutrition, sensory performance, quality, regulatory compliance, and cost, while accelerating speed to market.

responsibilities:

Product & Innovation Leadership

• Own the product development strategy for high protein milk-based beverages, aligned with portfolio, growth, and brand objectives.
• Lead the creation of differentiated formulations and drive innovative pipelines from concept through launch, including renovation, line extensions, and breakthrough platforms.
• Apply consumer insights, sensory science, and nutrition trends to guide product design.

Technical & Scientific Excellence

• Serve as subject-matter expert in dairy chemistry, protein functionality, stabilization, and shelf-life optimization.
• Lead formulation development addressing challenges such as viscosity, sedimentation, flavor masking, heat stability, and protein solubility.
• Oversee bench-top, pilot, and commercial scale-up activities, ensuring technical feasibility and manufacturing robustness.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, regulatory, and labeling requirements (FDA, USDA, global as applicable).

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner closely with Marketing, Operations, Quality, Procurement, Regulatory, and Supply Chain to ensure seamless commercialization.
• Provide technical guidance during capital projects, co-manufacturing selection, and process optimization.
• Influence senior leadership through data-driven recommendations, risk assessments, and scenario planning.

Team & Capability Building

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing product development and R&D team.
• Establish best-in-class development processes, stage-gate governance, and technical standards.
• Foster a culture of innovation, scientific rigor, and continuous improvement.

Business & Portfolio Impact

• Manage development budgets, timelines, and resource allocation.
• Balance innovation ambition with cost targets, margin goals, and operational constraints.
• Support IP strategy, supplier partnerships, and external collaborations.

 

skills/qualifications required:

• Advanced degree (MS or PhD preferred) in Food Science, Dairy Science, Chemical Engineering, Nutrition, or related field.
• 12+ years of progressive experience in product development within dairy, beverages, or nutrition focused CPG.
• Proven leadership in high protein or functional beverage development (RTD, UHT, ESL, refrigerated).
• Demonstrated success taking products from concept to commercial launch at scale.
• Experience working with cross-functional and global teams.
• Understanding and knowledge of Dairy protein systems (whey, casein, milk protein concentrates/isolates), UHT / HTST processing and aseptic technologies, emulsion and stabilization systems, sensory optimization and flavor systems, shelf-life testing and quality validation, and regulatory and nutrition labeling considerations

how fairlife nourishes you:

At fairlife, we believe in better — and that includes how we support our people. We offer a comprehensive suite of benefits and well-being resources designed to support you physically, emotionally, socially, and financially, both in and out of work.

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, e