Sr Product Developer - Food & Bev, Product Development & Sensory

• Leads ideation, development, and commercialization of Private Brand Food and Beverage products. Partners cross-functionally with Sourcing, Regulatory, Nutrition, Quality, and Compliance teams to bring

Description

• Leads ideation, development, and commercialization of Private Brand Food and Beverage products. Partners cross-functionally with Sourcing, Regulatory, Nutrition, Quality, and Compliance teams to bring products to market that meet Whole Foods Market (WFM), Amazon, and regulatory standards. Key job responsibilities Ideation & Insights - Identify trending ingredients and products using market research, trend-mapping, category insights, competitor shops, and trend treks. - Research consumer trends and synthesize findings into actionable category insights. Formulation & Development - Lead product development, including comparisons against target products and sensory benchmarks. - Drive formulation development by identifying benchtop and/or retail gold standards. - Lead organoleptic evaluations and vendor sample comparisons. - Work with the sensory team to design and execute sensory testing to reduce evaluation bias. - Communicate sensory, nutritional, and quality parameters to vendors; provide feedback and reformulation requests. Launch & Production - Manage first production activities: send requirements, lead conference calls, and oversee vendor execution. - Evaluate first production samples against approved retains and issue approval/release decisions. - Attend first productions as needed. Quality & Compliance - Review and evaluate supplier-submitted product and formulation specifications; communicate findings to stakeholders promptly. - Collaborate with Product Safety and Quality teams on input and feedback. - Evaluate, validate, and finalize product preparation instructions where applicable. - Uphold WFM and Amazon quality and brand standards; resolve quality discrepancies with internal teams and vendors. Supplier & Cross-Functional Support - Help identify new co-packing partners and support co-packers in sourcing raw materials. - Visit suppliers to review capabilities and explore innovation opportunities. Other - Support special projects, including competitive product evaluations and rollout of new policies and technologies. - Perform other miscellaneous product development duties as necessary. A day in the life Part of the appeal of a Product Developer job is the varied activities from day to day and mix of desk work and hands on product work. A day in the life might include a specification review for a new product, a cutting, some competitive shopping, and a meeting with your cross-functional stakeholders who help develop products (Sourcing, Nutrition, Food Safety, Logistics, Packaging, Quality, Sensory, Project Manager).

Basic Qualifications

• - Experience with strong project management skills and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment - Experience that includes strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and effective communication abilities - Experience working effectively across cross-functional teams and partnering well with people at all levels within an organization - 6-8 years of product development experience in CPG, grocery retail, or ingredient industries. - Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Chemistry, Food Science, or related field - Willing and able to sample and evaluate all types of food. - Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook); experience with AI tools and writing prompts. - Available for occasional travel (<20%) to conferences, trade shows, vendor sites, and first productions.

Preferred Qualifications