Product Development Manager – Cocktail Mixers & Consumables (Collins)

Nombase; Seattle, Northern (WA, KY); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

LTD

Job summary

True Brands is seeking a Product & Brand Manager to lead development and commercialization of Collins brand cocktail mixers, syrups, and garnishes in Seattle. You’ll oversee benchtop formulation through scale-up, working with cross-functional teams to ensure flavor, quality, cost, and regulatory compliance.

You’ll apply flavor science and mixology expertise, manage supplier relationships, and drive product launches and ongoing innovations to grow the Collins portfolio.

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years of experience in food or beverage product development, R&D, formulation, or related field.
• Hands-on experience taking benchtop formulations through commercial scale-up and production.
• Strong knowledge of cocktails and mixology, flavor balance, and modern beverage trends.
• Experience with ingredient functionality, shelf-life testing, product specs, and formulation documents.
• Working knowledge of FDA labeling and regulatory requirements; international experience a plus.
• Experience with ingredient suppliers, manufacturers, and co-packers.
• Strong project management skills across multiple products at different stages.
• Able to communicate technical product information to non-technical buyers and distributors.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent industry experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop new products: lead formulation and development from concept to commercialization.
• Apply flavor and cocktail expertise to create balanced profiles.
• Own product specifications: recipes, BOMs, ingredient specs, shelf-life, stability.
• Scale formulations for production with suppliers and co-packers.
• Source ingredients and partners focusing on quality and cost.
• Manage regulatory requirements for formulas, declarations, allergens, labeling.
• Work with Supply Chain to achieve target costs while preserving flavor.
• Support Sales and National Accounts with technical samples and specs.
• Manage products through launch from concept approval to production.
• Drive ongoing innovation by tracking cocktail and beverage trends.

Skills

Food & Beverage R&D

Benchtop Formulation

Cocktail & Mixology

FDA labeling

Supplier management

Project management

Seller/buyer communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science / Culinary Science / Chemistry / Product Development

Job description

True Brands is looking for a Product & Brand Manager to lead the development and commercialization of consumable products for our Collins brand, with a primary focus on cocktail mixers, syrups, and garnishes.

This is a hands-on food and beverage product development role for someone who understands both the science behind a successful formulation and the craft behind a great cocktail. You’ll develop new products from initial concept and benchtop formulation through testing, sourcing, scale-up, regulatory compliance, and commercial production.

You’ll work closely with our Product Development, Global Supply Chain, Operations, and Sales teams, as well as ingredient suppliers and co-packers, to create products that deliver on flavor, quality, cost, and commercial viability. You’ll also help explore new consumable categories as the Collins brand continues to grow.

What You’ll Do:

• Develop new products: Lead formulation and development of cocktail mixers, syrups, garnishes, and other consumable products from concept through commercialization.
• Apply flavor and cocktail expertise: Develop and refine flavor profiles with an understanding of sweetness, acidity, bitterness, aroma, mouthfeel, dilution, spirit pairings, and cocktail construction.
• Own product specifications: Develop recipes, BOMs, ingredient specifications, shelf-life requirements, and stability standards.
• Scale formulations for production: Work with suppliers and co-packers to move products from benchtop development into successful commercial production.
• Source ingredients and partners: Evaluate ingredients, suppliers, packaging components, and manufacturing partners for quality, cost, and production feasibility.
• Manage regulatory requirements: Ensure formulations, ingredient declarations, allergens, claims, and packaging meet applicable FDA and international requirements.
• Develop to target cost: Partner with Supply Chain to achieve target costs and margins while protecting product quality and flavor.
• Support Sales and National Accounts: Provide technical product expertise, samples, tastings, specifications, and support for major buyer and distributor presentations.
• Manage products through launch: Keep cross-functional development projects moving from concept approval through production and launch.
• Drive continued innovation: Follow cocktail, beverage, ingredient, and flavor trends to identify opportunities for new products and improvements to the existing Collins portfolio.

What We’re Looking For:

• 3-5+ years of experience in food or beverage product development, R&D, formulation, or a related field.
• Hands-on experience taking food or beverage products from benchtop formulation through commercial scale-up and production.
• Strong knowledge of cocktails and mixology, including flavor balance, spirit pairings, classic and modern cocktail construction, and current beverage trends.
• Experience with ingredient functionality, shelf-life and stability testing, product specifications, and formulation documentation.
• Working knowledge of FDA food labeling and regulatory requirements; international experience is a plus.
• Experience working with ingredient suppliers, manufacturers, and co-packers.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple products at different stages of development.
• Comfortable partnering with Sales and communicating technical product information to buyers, distributors, and other non-technical audiences.
• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Culinary Science, Chemistry, Product Development, or a related field preferred, or equivalent relevant industry experience.

What We Offer:

• Health, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance, LTD, 401k with employer match
• Large supplemental insurance offerings such as accidental policies and discounted pet insurance plans
• FSA General Purpose Healthcare and Dependent care