Product Development Formulator, NPD Vista, CA

Nordic Naturals; Vista, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Nordic Naturals seeks a Product Development Formulator, NPD to lead the creation and renovation of dietary supplements across multiple formats. You will design formulations, select ingredients, evaluate feasibility, and prepare specifications for commercialization.

You will partner with Marketing, QA, and Operations to ensure brand alignment, regulatory compliance, and readiness for scale, while building strong supplier relationships and driving stage-gate processes.

Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years’ experience in dietary supplement formulation or related field.
• Ability to develop, read and interpret standard operating procedures and regulations.
• Experience working cross-functionally across departments.

Responsibilities

• Develop formulas for new products and renovate existing products to support new claims and technologies.
• Coordinate with Marketing on brand development, claims strategy, and product positioning.
• Collaborate with QA, PD Engineering, Operations and contract manufacturers to ensure manufacturability and scale readiness.
• Build and maintain vendor relationships for sourcing ingredients and packaging materials.

Skills

Formulation

Ingredient selection

Cross-functional

Regulatory knowledge

Education

BS in Food Science

Tools

MS Office

Excel

Job description

The Product Development Formulator, NPD, owns the development of new dietary supplements and renovations for new claims across multiple delivery formats. This role leads formulation design, ingredient selection, feasibility evaluation, stability planning, and specification development. The Formulator drives cross‑functional alignment within the stage‑gate process, partners with Marketing on brand and concept development, and collaborates with Marketing, Strategic Sourcing, Operations, Supply Chain, QA, PD Engineering and Project Management to ensure successful commercialization.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Reasonable Accommodations Statement

To accomplish this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to help enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Develop new formulas and renovate existing products to support new claims, new technologies, and brand expansion.
• Research and identify optimal ingredients, materials, and delivery technologies for new products.
• Conduct feasibility assessments, troubleshoot formulation challenges, and identify technical solutions to ensure timely progression.

Specifications, Documentation & Stage‑Gate Execution

• Develop ingredient, component, and finished product specifications for new products.
• Create Master Manufacturing Records (MMRs) and other stage‑gate documentation required for commercialization.
• Conduct nutritional calculations and generate supplement facts panels for new formulations.
• Ensure documentation accuracy and alignment with regulatory and brand requirements.

Stability & Testing

• Collaborate with Stability & Prototyping Lab to design stability studies for new products, interpret results, and refine formulations as needed.
• Partner with QA and PD Engineering to evaluate analytical data and ensure product viability.
• Work with contract manufacturers to develop blends, obtain pricing, and manage technical communication throughout development.
• Build and maintain relationships with vendors to support sourcing of new materials and packaging.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Marketing on brand development, claims strategy, and product positioning.
• Collaborate with Operations, Supply Chain, QA, and PD Engineering to ensure manufacturability and readiness for scale‑

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

• BS in food science, chemistry, biology, pharmaceutical engineering, or related field required.
• Minimum 4 years’ experience in dietary supplement (capsules, soft gels, liquids, powders, gummies, and/or nutrition bars) or related field.
• Must be able to develop, read and interpret documents such as standard operating procedures, and regulations.
• Must be able to work cross functionally with many different departments and various skill levels.
• Knowledge of Food & Supplement regulations (including DSHEA, FD&C Act Section 21 CFR 111) is preferred.
• Ability to objectively review the primary and secondary scientific literature to help support ingredient or product efficacy and safety is preferred.
• Ability to deal with complex problems with many variables.

Competency Statements

• Positive - Ability to view all situations with a positive attitude.
• Accountable – takes ownership for responsibilities, acknowledges and learns from mistakes
• Innovative - Ability to look beyond the standard solutions and \"think outside the box\".
• Independent – Must be self‑motivated and able to manage obligations without direct supervision
• Assertiveness - Ability to act in a self‑confident manner to facilitate completion of a work assignment or to defend a position or idea.
• Communication - Ability to communicate effectively with others using spoken and written word clearly and concisely.
• Customer Oriented - Ability to take care of the customers’ needs while following company procedures.
• Enthusiastic - Ability to bring energy to the performance of a task.
• Self‑Motivated - Ability to be internally inspired to perform a task to the best of one’s ability using his or her own drive or initiative.

SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Meticulous attention to detail.
• Ability to produce high-quality work with limited supervision.
• Must possess knowledge pertaining to the nutraceutical industry and must be well versed in a variety of ingredients, their usage, forms, activities and all other relevant characteristics.

Computer Skills:

Must be proficient with MS Office and have advanced Excel skills.

Certifications & Licenses:

N/A

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Physical Demands

Lift/Carry

Stand

O (Occasionally)

Walk

O (Occasionally)

Sit

F (Frequently)

F (Frequently)

O (Occasionally)

Reach Above Shoulder

N (Not Applicable)

Climb

N (Not Applicable)

N (Not Applicable)

Squat or Kneel

O (Occasionally)

O (Occasionally)

10 lbs or less

O (Occasionally)

11-20 lbs

O (Occasionally)

21-50 lbs

O (Occasionally)

51-100 lbs

N (Not Applicable)

Over 100 lbs

N (Not Applicable)

Push/Pull

12 lbs or less

O (Occasionally)

13-25 lbs

O (Occasionally)

26-40 lbs

O (Occasionally)

41-100 lbs

N (Not Applicable)

N (Not Applicable)

Activity is not applicable to this occupation.

Other Physical Requirements

Vision (Near, Distance)

Sense of Sound (ability to hear on the phone)

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Works in a climate-controlled environment

As set forth in Nordic Naturals’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.