POSITION SUMMARYThe 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.
KEY 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.
