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About the Role
As Head of Product & Innovation, you will be responsible for our entire product development from idea to shelf. You will lead a team of 7 people in three functions – Development, Product Management, and Research – report directly to Nicolas, Co-Founder & CEO, and be part of vly's Leadership Team.
Responsibilities
- Oversee product development from idea to market readiness, including lab, pilot plant, and sensory analysis.
- Implement rapid prototyping and fast feedback cycles as standard operating procedure.
- Structure the product roadmap, prioritize the portfolio, and establish clear, binding project management.
- Manage research in fermentation, protein science, and new ingredients, including collaborations with partner universities and securing public grants.
- Lead and develop the three functions with currently 7 employees and represent Product & Innovation in the Leadership Team.
Requirements
- Passion for food: Instinctively turn products over in the supermarket, read ingredient lists and nutritional tables, and understand what makes a good product.
- Product Leadership: 5+ years of leadership experience in R&D / product development, ideally with team building in a startup or scale-up environment.
- FoodTech expertise: Deep know-how in food technology and plant-based proteins; experience with fermentation and/or structured experimental design.
- Consumer focus: Think from the end consumer's perspective – ideally with experience in qualitative & quantitative consumer research, consumer testing, and sensory analysis.
- Clarity & Focus: Excellent prioritization; direct, precise communication.
- Drive: Energy and resilience at scale-up pace.
- Languages & Location: Very good German, good English. Homebase Berlin; at least 3 days/week in the office/lab, the rest flexible.
Skills
- Product Development
- Rapid Prototyping
- Feedback Cycles
- Product Roadmap
- Portfolio Prioritization
- Project Management
- Fermentation
- Protein Science
- New Ingredients Research
- Team Leadership
- Food Technology
- Plant-based Proteins
- Experimental Design
- Consumer Research
- Consumer Testing
- Sensory Analysis
- Communication
Location
- Berlin
Work Type
- Hybrid
Experience Level
- 5+ years of leadership experience
Benefits
- Be part of our mission to change the food industry towards being healthier, more sustainable, and ethical.
- Work in a fascinating industry with growing importance of health.
- Leadership team role with direct access to founders, shaping the product portfolio.
- Regular vly-Days and offsites.
- Daily freshly cooked team lunch by our own vly chef.
- Subsidy for Deutschland-Ticket and USC membership.
- Unlimited vly products.
About the Company
- vly develops plant-based alternatives to dairy products with better nutritional values – scientifically based, not hype.
- Our milk alternatives made from pea protein and yogurt alternatives made from fava bean protein are available in over 10,000 markets in Germany (including dm, REWE, EDEKA, Kaufland).