Director, R&D Optimization

The Director, R&D Optimization, has responsibility for owning, identifying, sponsoring, and implementing the Company’s Business Transformation projects. This role will be the primary liaison with Research & Development teams and will maintain a close connection with the leadership teams across R&D, Analytical Services, Regulatory Affairs, and Innovation. Business Transformation projects include identifying and implementing product and process renovations, formula and specification optimization, regulatory projects, and other projects to capture value. To be successful, this individual must be knowledgeable and build expertise in our product development, scale-up, and manufacturing processes, product portfolio, nutritional supplement industry, and adjacent industries. This individual must be capable of utilizing a variety of communication strategies to influence key stakeholders and drive results.  

This person will lead and sponsor project teams to ensure best-in-class execution with cross-functional departments such as Business Transformation, Marketing, Sales, Regulatory Affairs, Scientific Affairs, Finance, R&D, Quality, and Operations.  

 Critical Success Factors:  

• Ability to think strategically and provide options or “what needs to be true” scenarios. 

• Ability to manage ambiguity and complexity, develop plans with alternatives, engage the right stakeholders to create project scope, establish targets, and execute with excellence to meet objectives. 

• Excellent communication skills to varied audiences, high emotional intelligence & ability to influence and motivate across all levels. 

• Ability to make difficult decisions promptly while engaging the appropriate stakeholders.  

• Deep knowledge of mature R&D processes, products, ingredients, and suppliers within the broader VMS industry. 

Responsibilities: 

• Ownership of BT initiatives to ensure priorities and resources are aligned, that are feasible to achieve, and that results can be delivered as planned. 
• Acts as the R&D facing partner within Business Transformation; developing relationships to ensure priorities and resources are aligned across R&D, Procurement, Regulatory, Ops/Supply Chain, Innovation, Legal, and Finance teams to bring forward and vet relevant BT ideas.  
• Partners with the Senior Director, Business Transformation and Director PMO, and technical leaders to identify value opportunities, quantify the impact, and deliver results. 
• Ensures up-to-date tracking, metrics, and communications for consumer and customer-facing teams are in place for BT projects, efforts, and initiatives. 
• Develop recommendations to ensure optimal enterprise approach for project implementation,and is a key advocate of best practices across the project portfolio, business processes, and product development through commercialization. 
• Responsible for setting scope and financial targets, ensuring thesuccessful execution of sponsored BT Projects, including delivering cost savings 
• Regularly engages R&D leadership to share updates on key BT initiatives, facilitate ideation, and celebrate wins. 
• Manages and continually improves the effectiveness of BT communication across all stakeholders. 
• Coaches project teams and ensures BT projects are properly monitored and progressing as needed through the process. 

Education: 

• Requires a four-year college or university degree. 
• An advanced degree in a relevant field is preferred. 

Experience: 

• Requires ten or more years of experience in one or more of the following roles: technical operations, manufacturing, process engineering, R&D, Quality, Finance, or related field.  

• Previous managerial and project management experience ishighly preferred. 

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: 

• Highly organized, with strong analytical and problem-solving skills 
• Communicate effectively (written, verbal, presentations) at all levels, from executives to functional subject matter experts. 
• Effectively collaborate across all functions by establishing trust and credibility. 
• Manage by influence rather than authority. 
• Previous experience with Artificial Intelligence (AI) preferred, willingness to learn AI required. 
• Ability to deal with ambiguity and operate in the grey, but with a desire to “bring order to chaos” and a bias for driving to decisions/resolution. 
• Managerial courage and the ability to stand up to colleagues at any level for the overall benefit of the enterprise. 
• Conceptual thinker capable of creating and communicating a framework and organizational structure for the programs. 
• Capable of managing at the detailed execution level, but also of rising above and seeing the big picture. 
• Deep knowledge of the VMS industry and can leverage an external network to implement value-generating solutions. 
• Well-developed business acumen 
• Experience working in and navigating a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system. 
• Advanced meeting facilitation skills. 
• Understanding of development and scale-up processes across a variety of dosage forms. 
• Understanding of cGMP and FDA regulations and a passion for staying up to date on VMS/CPG industries. 
• Developed financial acumen, including the ability to independently estimate “size of prize”. 

Physical Requirements: 

• General office environment, ability to sit for long periods. Ability to move about an office. 

Environment: 

• Moderate exposure to disagreeable elements. 

Safety: 

• The incumbent must be able to perform this job safely in accordance with standard operating procedures and good manufacturing practices, without endangering their health or the safety of themselves or others. 

Supervisory Responsibility: 

• No direct or indirect supervisory responsibility.