the client is hiring a Senior Director, New Product Development to run and advance its new product development laboratory in the Stockton / Lodi, CA area. The role leads the team driving new product development across formulated wine, spirits, beer, and emerging alcohol beverage categories, operating as the authoritative product development expert. Reporting to the VP of Innovation, the Senior Director will help drive the product development process from prototype development through scale-up, collaborating with internal partners to set an innovation agenda focused on breakthrough, consumer-impacting products.
The Senior Director will lead technical activities including formulation and prototype development, direct formulation trials, stability testing, regulatory reviews, and transition for scale-up. Responsibilities include selecting appropriate base materials based on project specifications and availability, supporting implementation of the new R&D laboratory (including insight into space and equipment needs to enable future initiatives), and collaborating with other R&D sites to share best practices. The role will also maintain and improve products using sensory and/or consumer feedback, support consumer research to evaluate performance, align product profiles and target specifications with marketing and innovation partners, and cultivate relationships with key flavor and ingredient suppliers and research partners to support ongoing innovation.
In addition to technical leadership, the Senior Director will manage and guide a team of product developers, fostering a collaborative culture while delivering business objectives. The position will include prioritizing projects to focus resources, setting a team vision aligned with the company’s long-term goals, and collaborating cross-functionally to identify process improvements that increase efficiency and innovation impact. The Senior Director will also partner with Legal to support compliance as part of the product development workflow and will monitor industry trends, collaborating with insights teams to help compile and distribute a trends report.