Senior Manager, Research & Development

Senior Manager, Research & Development

Final date to receive applications: 2 January 2026

Department: Research & Development

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Charlotte

Reporting To: New Role, New Department

Job Summary

The Sr. Manager, Research and Development (R&D) will play a pivotal role in building our Innovation Team and leading the creation and design of Truly Good Foods’ new Innovation & R&D Lab. This includes shaping the lab’s technical capabilities, equipment strategy, and workflow design to support rapid product development and advanced food research.

In addition to establishing and refining our innovation and commercialization processes, this role will champion cross-functional collaboration to accelerate project execution and strengthen organizational alignment. The Sr. Manager will lead the development, optimization, and scale-up of new and existing manufactured snack products across our portfolio, ensuring they meet consumer expectations, operational feasibility, and business goals.

This role will partner closely with Operations, Quality Assurance, Sales, and Marketing to translate consumer‑centric insights into commercially viable products, guiding them from concept through plant trials, commercialization, and successful market launch.

Essential Job Duties

Product Development & Innovation (Concept to Launch)

• Lead the end-to-end development of new manufactured snack products, from benchtop formulation through scale-up and final commercialization.
• Build, refine, and own TGF’s New Product Development stage‑gate process.
• Translate consumer insights, category trends, and customer feedback into innovative product concepts.
• Develop formulations that meet sensory, nutritional, regulatory, and shelf‑life requirements.

Technical Execution

• Lead benchtop tests, pilot runs, and full‑scale production trials.
• Evaluate ingredient functionality, run shelf‑life studies, and conduct sensory evaluations.
• Partner with Supply Chain and Purchasing to source new functional ingredients and qualify suppliers.
• Ensure product feasibility and cost alignment with manufacturing capabilities.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Operations, QA, Purchasing, and Supply Chain to ensure seamless commercialization.
• Support QA with technical documentation (specs, allergen/HACCP review, process validation, etc.).
• Provide technical insights to Sales & Marketing for customer presentations, sampling events, and trade shows.
• Serve as a technical subject‑matter expert across the organization.

Documentation, Compliance & Recordkeeping

• Maintain detailed project documentation, formulations, trial notes, and specifications.
• Ensure regulatory and label compliance (FDA, FSMA, and other required standards).
• Stay current on emerging ingredient technologies, snacking trends, and regulatory updates.

Scope of Responsibility

This position is responsible for leading the full lifecycle of new product development for Truly Good Foods manufactured snack portfolio. This role owns the creation, optimization, and commercialization of new products, while also building and improving the innovation processes that support long‑term growth. The position requires deep technical expertise in food formulation, hands‑on execution from benchtop through plant scale‑up, and strong cross‑functional leadership across Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Purchasing, Sales, and Marketing.

Knowledge Requirements

• Food Science Expertise: Deep understanding of food chemistry, ingredient functionality, and formulation principles applicable to roasted, baked, coated, or extruded snack products.
• Processing & Manufacturing: Strong working knowledge of snack manufacturing processes including roasting, seasoning application, enrobing/coating, baking, and related equipment capabilities.
• Scale‑Up & Commercialization: Proven experience translating benchtop formulations into commercially viable processes; familiarity with pilot plant operations, process parameters, and scale‑up challenges.
• Sensory Science: Proficiency in sensory evaluation techniques, shelf‑life testing, product benchmarking, and consumer preference…