Director, Innovation – Commercialization Operations

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Design, manage, and enhance the Stage Gate governance framework, which includes gate criteria, necessary evidence, decision rights, and escalation pathways.

• Lead gate reviews that concentrate on decisions and readiness; document approvals, conditions, owners, and formal closure.

• Maintain records of gate decisions and track conditional approvals to closure.

• Establish standards for decisions finalized at each gate and controls for significant changes post-approval.

• Implement proportionate gate requirements based on risk and complexity.

• Identify decisions that necessitate executive intervention, outline options and trade-offs, and suggest pathways forward.

• Integrate New Product Development (NPD) plans across various functions, including Product Development, Packaging, Procurement, Supply Chain, Quality, Regulatory, Finance, Marketing, Retail, DTC, and International.

• Create critical-path plans, functional lead times, dependencies, handoffs, launch baselines, and forecasts.

• Offer visibility into project status, timing, risks, resource demands, and decisions related to launch readiness.

• Coordinate commercialization requirements across formulas, claims, packaging, artwork, labels, sourcing, master data, production, and channel launches.

• Define readiness expectations for manufacturing, inventory, retailer execution, and DTC launches.

• Highlight timing, cost, and execution implications of late changes.

• Operationalize Stage Gate redesign modifications across ongoing launches.

• Streamline or eliminate redundant and legacy requirements while safeguarding critical controls.

• Establish a dependable system of record for decisions, approved versions, deliverables, owners, milestones, and changes.

• Develop a framework for retailer-specific requests and exceptions.

• Define metrics for process effectiveness, train teams, and promote adoption.

⛳️ Requirements

• Over 10 years of experience in CPG new product development, innovation operations, commercialization, or related cross-functional leadership, preferably within food, beverages, or nutritional products.

• Proven experience in owning or substantially redesigning a formal Stage Gate or similar NPD governance framework.

• Experience in launching physical consumer products with a solid understanding of formulation, regulatory/quality, packaging, supply chain, manufacturing, and commercial interdependencies.

• Strong judgment in establishing governance standards while minimizing unnecessary bureaucracy.

• Experience in leading decision forums and managing cross-functional trade-offs.

• Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders without direct authority, implement change, and transform complex workflows into practical operating routines.

• Exceptional skills in integrated planning, risk management, facilitation, and executive communication.

• Experience in facilitating executive gate decisions, establishing and monitoring conditions of approval, and leading practical change control.

• Background that spans mature CPG processes and dynamic, high-growth environments.

• Familiarity with beverage or supplement categories along with retail, DTC, Amazon, or international launches.

• PMP certification or equivalent formal training in project or program management methodologies.

• Knowledge of PLM, NPD portfolio tools, and process excellence methodologies.

🏝️ Benefits

• Competitive salary and performance-based incentive plans.

• A fully remote working environment (except for Laboratory positions).

• Paid holidays.

• Company-wide reset and reflection days.

• Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO) based on your country of residence.

• In-person team meetups to enhance collaboration, team building, and boost productivity.

• Access to AG1 products and branded merchandise.

• Monthly telecom stipend to help cover home internet/Wi-Fi costs for eligible team members.

• All other benefits and insurances mandated by law, based on your specific country of residence.

• Stock option allocation for eligible roles.