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About the Role
The Associate Director of Ingredient Development leads ingredient product development, evaluation, commercialization, and supplier onboarding for Meal Kit brands. This role drives company growth and ensures product and supplier standards. We seek a data-driven product commercialization expert with deep experience in product innovation to lead new ingredient discovery and launch. Responsibilities include identifying and implementing best practices in sensory evaluation, specification development, and supplier master data management, accelerating speed to market, and increasing strategic supplier collaboration. The role involves working closely with recipe development and brand teams to drive growth and innovation, leading a team with culinary and food science expertise, and driving organizational change with a focus on impact.
Responsibilities
- Develop a new ingredient roadmap with culinary and brand teams to drive menu innovation.
- Collaborate with sourcing and product teams to develop a roadmap for new ingredients and suppliers, supporting diversification.
- Oversee Product Investment budgets, ensuring delivery against cost and timeline objectives for new and existing ingredients.
- Lead the end-to-end stage gate process for ingredient commercialization, managing project timelines, milestones, and risk assessments cross-functionally from concept to launch.
- Incorporate sustainability and responsible sourcing criteria into ingredient evaluation.
- Ensure projects align with regulatory compliance, including labeling, allergen management, and ingredient standards.
- Develop new products jointly with suppliers to accelerate the ingredient roadmap.
- Develop and manage supplier sensory scorecards, specifications, and onboarding requirements, collaborating with culinary, data science, food safety, and quality teams.
- Maintain the master data repository for supplier and ingredient data and specifications.
- Cultivate a high-performing team, developing and leading culinary and data-focused teams.
- Perform other strategic initiatives as assigned.
Requirements
- 8+ years of experience in food or beverage research and development, product development, or continuous improvement.
- Preferred experience in people leadership.
- Knowledge of GMPs, HACCP, and food safety compliance.
- Familiarity with FDA/USDA ingredient regulations and labeling requirements.
- Successful track record of product innovation and leadership in a cross-functional stage gate process.
- Experience managing test kitchen operations and preparing samples and documentation for evaluations.
- Strong quantitative and analytical experience.
- Experience managing and leading a team of direct and indirect reports.
- Flexibility to travel up to 10%.
Skills
- Product innovation
- Sensory evaluation
- Specification development
- Supplier master data management
- Culinary expertise
- Food science expertise
- Data-driven analysis
- GMPs
- HACCP
- Food safety compliance
- FDA/USDA ingredient regulations
- Labeling requirements
- Quantitative analysis
- Analytical skills
- G-Suite
- Excel
- Project management systems
Location
- New York
Experience Level
- 8+ years of experience in food or beverage research and development, product development, or continuous improvement
- People leadership experience preferred
Education Level
- Degree in food science or a related field (asset, not required)
Salary/Compensations
- $140,700 - $170,500 USD
Benefits
- 401k with immediate company match
- Generous Paid Time Off (PTO), including sabbatical
- Parental leave up to 16 weeks
- Comprehensive health and wellness benefits with $0 monthly options, effective first day
- Tuition reimbursement for continuing education (after 2 years of service)
- Up to 85% discount on HelloFresh meal plan subscriptions (HelloFresh, Green Chef, Everyplate, Factor_)
- Access to Employee Resource Groups (BIPOC, women, veterans, parents, LGBTQ+)
- Inclusive, collaborative, and dynamic work environment
- Fast-paced, mission-driven company disrupting the traditional food supply chain
About the Company
- Operates Meal Kit brands
- Fast-paced, mission-driven company
- Disrupting the traditional food supply chain