Food Research Development Jobs in Phoenix, AZ (NOW HIRING)

The 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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