Manager – R&D, Regulatory & Quality (Nutraceuticals)

BetterHerbs; Dadri; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 4,000,000; Full time

Job summary

BetterHerbs is seeking a hands-on R&D, Regulatory & Quality Manager to own the product lifecycle from idea to commercial launch. You will drive nutraceutical formulations, evaluate ingredients and conduct stability studies while ensuring FSSAI compliance and accurate labeling.

You will coordinate with manufacturing partners, QA teams, and suppliers to ensure quality and cost targets are met. The role requires 5–7 years in nutraceuticals and strong documentation and project management skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor/Master-level qualification in food tech, nutrition or pharma with relevant nutraceutical exposure.
• 5–7 years of experience in nutraceuticals, dietary supplements, functional foods or nutrition products.
• Strong understanding of FSSAI nutraceutical regulations, labeling and claims.
• Hands-on formulation experience and familiarity with contract manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Lead product R&D and New Product Development from concept to launch.
• Translate briefs into feasible formulations and run trials with manufacturers.
• Research ingredients, dosage, bioavailability, safety and evidence.
• Coordinate stability and shelf-life studies; ensure specs meet requirements.
• Ensure regulatory compliance with FSSAI rules, labeling and claims.
• Oversee QA/QC specs, COAs, lab reports, and testing protocols.
• Manage third-party manufacturers and supplier quality; negotiate MOQ and timelines.
• Own the end-to-end launch cycle with cross-functional teams to meet deadlines.

Skills

Nutraceutical product formulation

Regulatory compliance (FSSAI)

Quality assurance & testing

Vendor & supplier management

Documentation & project management

Education

B.Tech / M.Tech Food Technology

M.Sc Food Science / Nutrition / Biotechnology

B.Pharma / M.Pharma

Related discipline

Job description

BetterHerbs is a fast-growing D2C wellness brand building clean, science-backed nutrition products for kids and mothers. Trusted by 2,50,000+ customers across India, our portfolio spans pregnancy nutrition, lactation, child development, focus, and hormonal wellness. We combine Ayurvedic wisdom with modern nutritional science to create products designed for the modern Indian family.

We are looking for a hands-on R&D, Regulatory & Quality Manager who can take ownership of products from idea → formulation → manufacturer → compliance → quality → commercial launch.

Key Responsibilities

1. 1. Product R&D & New Product Development
   • Work on new nutraceutical, functional nutrition and Ayurvedic product formulations.
   • Convert product briefs into technically feasible and commercially viable formulations.
   • Research ingredients, dosage levels, bioavailability, safety and scientific evidence.
   • Evaluate proteins, vitamins, minerals, herbal extracts, DHA, probiotics and other functional ingredients.
   • Coordinate formulation trials, sampling, flavour/taste optimization and pilot batches with manufacturers.
   • Review and improve existing formulations for efficacy, ingredient quality, taste, cost and clean-label positioning.
   • Coordinate stability and shelf-life studies and ensure products meet specifications throughout shelf life.
2. 2. FSSAI & Regulatory Compliance
   • Ensure formulations comply with applicable FSSAI regulations, permitted ingredients and dosage/RDA requirements.
   • Review product labels, ingredient lists, nutritional information, warnings and mandatory declarations.
   • Review product claims, website communication, packaging and marketing claims from a regulatory perspective.
   • Maintain regulatory documentation and product dossiers for all SKUs.
   • Track changes in FSSAI regulations and proactively highlight risks or required changes.
   • Coordinate with regulatory consultants/labs/manufacturers wherever required.
3. 3. Quality Assurance & QC
   • Define and review specifications for raw materials and finished products.
   • Review COAs, microbiological reports, heavy-metal reports and other relevant test reports.
   • Develop product-wise testing protocols and ensure periodic testing through NABL/FSSAI-recognised laboratories where applicable.
   • Investigate quality complaints, batch deviations and product inconsistencies and drive corrective/preventive actions.
   • Maintain batch-wise quality documentation and ensure consistency across production batches.
   • Conduct/coordinate manufacturer and supplier quality audits.
   • Identify and evaluate suitable third-party manufacturers and ingredient suppliers.
   • Evaluate vendors on quality, technical capability, compliance, pricing and scalability.
   • Coordinate trials, quotations, MOQ negotiations, commercial batches and production timelines.
   • Maintain ingredient/vendor specifications and qualification documentation.
   • Work closely with manufacturers to resolve formulation, production and quality issues.
   • Develop alternate vendors for critical ingredients and products to reduce supply risk.
4. Own the technical side of the complete launch cycle:
   • Work closely with Founders, Marketing, Operations, Procurement, Designers and Manufacturing Partners to launch products within agreed timelines.

Ideal Candidate

• B.Tech/M.Tech Food Technology / M.Sc Food Science, Nutrition, Biotechnology / B.Pharma/M.Pharma or related discipline.
• 5-7 years of relevant experience in nutraceuticals, dietary supplements, functional foods or nutrition products.
• Strong practical understanding of FSSAI nutraceutical/health supplement regulations, labelling and claims.
• Hands-on exposure to product formulation and third-party/contract manufacturing.
• Understanding of raw-material specifications, COAs, stability studies and finished-product testing.
• Experience dealing with ingredient suppliers, laboratories and manufacturers.
• Strong documentation, analytical and project-management skills.

Preferred

Experience working with products such as:

Protein powders | Vitamins & Minerals | Kids Nutrition | Pregnancy/Lactation Nutrition | Herbal/Ayurvedic Supplements | Drops/Liquids | Gummies | Probiotics

What We're Looking For

We don't need someone who only coordinates with vendors.

We want a person who can question a formulation, understand the science behind ingredients, identify regulatory risks, challenge manufacturers on quality and independently drive a product from concept to commercial production.