Senior Manager, R&D
Position: Manager, R&D
Reports to: Vice President, Marketing
Location: New York, NY (Hybrid)
Employment Type: Full-time
Salary: $110-120k + 15% bonus
Company Overview
Hippeas is a fast-growing, plant-based snack brand on a mission to change snacking for the better. Known for our delicious chickpea-based snacks, including puffs and chips, we are passionate about delivering tasty, nutritious, and sustainable products to consumers around the globe. At Hippeas, we believe in spreading good vibes, and we are looking for dynamic, driven individuals who share our commitment to innovation, collaboration, and creating a positive impact.
Position Summary
Hippeas is seeking a strategic and hands-on Senior Manager of Research & Development to lead product innovation, renovation, and commercialization across our growing portfolio. This role is responsible for bringing new products from concept to launch while ensuring all products consistently meet Hippeas' standards for quality, food safety, regulatory compliance, and consumer experience.
The ideal candidate is a collaborative leader with deep experience in CPG food manufacturing who can balance innovation with operational excellence and work cross-functionally with Operations, Marketing, Sales, Finance, and external manufacturing partners.
Key Responsibilities
Research & Development
· Lead the company's product innovation and renovation pipeline.
· Develop and commercialize new products, flavors, and formats.
· Manage all phases of product development from concept through commercialization.
· Identify opportunities for cost savings, ingredient optimization, and product improvement.
· Conduct product benchmarking, competitive analysis, and trend research.
· Partner with Marketing to support innovation strategy, consumer insights, and brand positioning.
· Assist the Operations team with identification of back-up suppliers for key ingredients.
· Coordinate plant trials, scale-ups, and commercialization activities with co-manufacturers.
· Ensure all new products meet shelf life requirements.
· Ability to travel to contract manufacturers as needed.
Regulatory & Compliance
· Ensure compliance with labeling, ingredients, allergens, and claim requirements when developing new products and renovating existing products.
· Partner with external regulatory consultants as needed for packaging translations, claims support, and other needs as they arise and dictated by Director of FSQA.
Cross-Functional Leadership
· Serve as the primary technical expert for product development, product portfolio, and new innovation.
· Build strong partnerships with Operations, Marketing, Sales, and Finance.
· Manage external laboratories and consultants.
· Present innovation updates, and project status to executive leadership.
· Develop and manage departmental budgets and priorities.
Qualifications & Attributes
· Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemistry, Biology, or related field.
· 5+ years of progressive experience in food CPG product development, quality, and food safety.
· Experience commercializing products through co-manufacturing networks.
· Strong understanding of FDA nutritional labeling regulations.
· Experience managing suppliers, and contract manufacturers.
· Proven ability to lead multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
· Strong analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills.
· Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.
Measures of Success
· Successful commercialization of new products and product improvements.
· Achievement of annual innovation, quality, and cost savings targets.
· On-time execution of innovation and renovation projects.
· Effective partnership with manufacturing and supplier network.
Equal Opportunity Statement
Hippeas is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. If you're passionate about fueling the growth of a trailblazing brand and making a positive impact, we’d love to hear from you!
