Director, Product Development – Commercialization

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Colombia, +4 more countries.

📋 Description

• Take charge of the commercialization schedule for each product, from the approved brief to the initial production run, making go/no-go decisions at each stage.

• Assess feasibility and costs for every brief prior to approval.

• Oversee formulation across confectionery platforms and document Shameless-owned formulas in writing.

• Create benchtop samples hands-on and provide them to the Brand 3–4 weeks before the flavor lock.

• Manage regulatory and label data, encompassing nutrition panels, sugar grams, allergens, and claims substantiation.

• Establish technical specifications and acceptance criteria for sensory attributes, texture, shelf life, and stability.

• Collaborate with the Brand to develop structural packaging specifications.

• Qualify suppliers and co-manufacturers through technical-fit evaluations, trials, and site audits; recommend manufacturing assignments.

• Lead pilot runs, stability testing, scale-up processes, and initial commercial runs, delivering finalized specifications, BOMs, and test plans to Quality and Procurement.

• Drive post-launch sensory consistency, cost reductions, and reformulations based on market feedback and quality indicators.

• Provide the Brand, Quality, Procurement, Operations, FP&A, Retail, and executives with product specifications, cost estimates, lead times, and manufacturing recommendations.

• Ensure the transition to co-manufacturers is completed, every active SKU has a documented formula and specification, acceptance criteria are recorded, launches are shipped on time, landed COGS improve, and projects are monitored in the pipeline system.

⛳️ Requirements

• Over 10 years of experience in confectionery or related food product development, remaining hands-on at the bench, with formulation expertise in gummies (pectin and starch) and proficiency in at least two of the following: aerated, panned/crunchy, licorice, sugar-reduced systems (allulose, erythritol, fiber).

• Proven experience taking products from the bench through pilot stages to the first commercial run, and successfully transferring formulas between plants.

• Experience in qualifying and managing co-manufacturers without owning the plant, including conducting site audits and ensuring compliance with specifications.

• Ability to create written acceptance criteria and conduct technical sensory gates; fluent in Certificates of Analysis (CoAs), moisture activity, stability, and shelf-life assessments.

• Capable of constructing a BOM cost and understanding yield and Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) calculations.

• Demonstrates ownership — you are responsible for the timeline and go/no-go decisions; if a launch is delayed due to product readiness, that responsibility falls on you.

• Shows resourcefulness — there is no in-house lab or pilot plant; trials are conducted at supplier and co-manufacturer facilities, and you effectively manage this process.

• Maintains documentation discipline — formulas, specifications, and supplier histories are well-documented in the system rather than kept in your memory.

• Acts with speed and rigor — comfortable managing the entire function in a fast-paced company that evolves weekly, without compromising technical standards.

• Communicates clearly — you bridge the gap between the Brand’s consumer language and the co-manufacturer’s process language, effectively translating in both directions.

🏝️ Benefits

• Paid Time Off

• Work From Home

• Training & Development