Product Development & Sourcing Manager - Confectionery

Type: Full Time

Location: Preferred on-site in Orange County, CA (Santa Ana office). We're also open to hybrid or remote candidates working on Pacific Time (PT).

Salary: $110,000 - $140,000

About Us

Shameless Snacks makes low-sugar gummy candy that tastes like the real thing. Every bag has 3g of sugar, is packed with fiber, and is vegan and gluten-free. Our lineup of sour and fruit gummies (worms, bears, peach rings, Cherry Bomb, Green Apple Blast, and more) is sold on Amazon, DTC, and at major retailers across the country.

Small team, no bureaucracy, massive ownership.

The Role

We’re looking for a Product Development & Sourcing Manager – Confectionery to lead the creation and production of our next generation of guilt-free candy. If you’ve developed gummy, chewy, or sugar-free candy products before — and you love the challenge of making them taste incredible while keeping them compliant and scalable — this is the role for you.

This position is preferably on-site at our Santa Ana, CA office in Orange County. We're also open to hybrid or remote candidates working on Pacific Time (PT). The role requires regular travel to manufacturing facilities and flavor houses for development trials, scale-ups, and production validation.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the development, formulation, and production of better-for-you candy products (gummies, chews, etc.).
• Collaborate with flavor houses, ingredient suppliers, and contract manufacturers to bring products from concept to launch.
• Translate brand product briefs into commercially viable formulations that meet nutritional and sensory standards.
• Conduct factory visits, pilot trials, and first production runs to ensure formulation and scale-up success.
• Manage vendor relationships, ensuring quality, compliance, and cost efficiency.
• Partner with internal teams (packaging, marketing, compliance) to prepare each product for launch.
• Stay informed on ingredient innovations, flavor systems, and new technologies in confectionery.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in non-chocolate confectionery development, ideally gummies, chews, or sugar-free candy.
• Proven experience formulating and manufacturing products in the better-for-you or functional food category.
• Deep technical knowledge of gelatin, pectin, starch systems, sugar alcohols, and alternative sweeteners.
• Hands-on experience managing flavor development, sensory testing, and factory-scale production.
• Familiarity with FDA and international food labeling and safety standards.
• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally (estimated 20–30% of time).
• Excellent communication, organization, and follow-through in high-growth environments.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision
• 401(k) Plan
• Company-paid life insurance, AD&D, and long-term disability
• PTO and 14 Observed Holidays
• Amazing, dog-friendly office in Santa Ana, CA
• Learning & development opportunities
• Stock option plan

Why Shameless Snacks

• We operate with speed, ownership, and accountability
• Ideas move quickly from concept to execution
• Every team member has direct impact on company growth
• We value operators who think strategically and execute decisively

Equal Employment Opportunity

Shameless Snacks is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where all team members feel valued and respected. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, medical condition, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.

We believe diversity drives innovation and strengthens our ability to serve our customers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment based on merit, qualifications, and business needs.