R&D and FSQA Director

ForceBrands; United States; On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

ForceBrands seeks a Director of R&D and Quality to lead product development, food safety, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance. You will ensure specs, customer expectations, and brand standards are met while enabling innovation and commercialization.

The role requires building scalable systems, strengthening quality processes, and guiding the company’s expansion across retail, e-commerce, ingredients, and marketplaces. Strong cross-functional leadership is essential.

Qualifications

• 10 to 15 years of experience in R&D, FSQA, Quality, or Regulatory leadership, preferably in food, beverage, or consumer packaged goods.
• Proven experience leading product development, commercialization, and quality systems.
• Strong scientific and technical understanding of food systems, formulation, and ingredient functionality.
• Deep knowledge of FDA, FSMA, CODEX, HACCP, HARPC, GMPs, and labeling regulations.
• Experience managing co-manufacturers, suppliers, and quality programs across a distributed supply chain.
• Strong understanding of specifications, COAs, laboratory testing, shelf-life studies, and product validation.
• Experience scaling products from bench development through commercial production.
• Familiarity with retailer and customer audits, specifications, and compliance standards.
• Experience with QMS, specification management systems, and documentation tools.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Demonstrated ability to support innovation within a regulated environment.
• Strong cross-functional leadership and communication skills.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, proactive, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial business
• PCQI, HACCP, SQF, BRCGS, ISO, or related food safety certification is preferred

Responsibilities

• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing R&D and FSQA team.
• Establish clear ownership across product development, quality, food safety, and regulatory functions.
• Foster a culture of quality, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Lead formulation, testing, validation, and commercialization of new products and line extensions.
• Ensure products can scale from bench development to full production.
• Oversee shelf-life studies, stability testing, sensory evaluations, and product validation.
• Evaluate ingredient and packaging compatibility with product performance.
• Support reformulation, cost optimization, and ongoing product improvements.
• Own and continuously improve FSQA systems, including HACCP, HARPC, GMPs, and supplier quality programs.
• Ensure products meet internal specifications, brand standards, and customer requirements.
• Oversee COA programs, laboratory testing, quality verification, and documentation processes.
• Lead internal, customer, and regulatory audits.
• Manage corrective and preventive action programs.
• Monitor and improve product quality performance across the supply chain.
• Lead the resolution of quality issues, product deviations, and food safety risks.
• Oversee regulatory compliance and labeling to meet FDA, FSMA, CODEX, and other requirements.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Communication skills

Analytical thinking

Organizational skills

Problem-solving

Education

Food safety certification (PCQI, HACCP, SQF, BRCGS, ISO)

Tools

QMS / documentation tools

Job description

*ROLE CAN EITHER BE ONSITE IN ASHEVILLE OR REMOTE WITH TRAVEL TO ASHEVILLE, NC*

Director of R&D and Quality

Department: R&D and Quality

Reports To: Chief Operating Officer

Position Type: Full-time, exempt

Work Model: Onsite in Western North Carolina with approximately 25% travel

About the Company

Our client is an established natural foods company with a well-known consumer brand serving retail, distributor, ingredient, e-commerce, and marketplace channels.

The company is experiencing significant growth and expanding into new households and points of distribution. To support its next phase, the organization is investing in its R&D and Quality capabilities and building scalable processes that protect product integrity, support innovation, and maintain consistent quality across channels.

This is an opportunity to join a mission-driven, entrepreneurial organization backed by experienced operators and investors. The company offers a differentiated product portfolio, strong consumer loyalty, expanding retail distribution, and significant runway for continued growth.

The Role

The company is seeking a Director of R&D and Quality to provide end-to-end leadership across product development, food safety, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance.

This leader will ensure products meet established specifications, regulatory requirements, customer expectations, and brand standards while enabling innovation and commercialization.

The Director will build scalable systems, strengthen quality processes, and support the company’s continued expansion across retail, e-commerce, ingredient, distributor, and marketplace channels.

This role requires a balance of scientific expertise, hands-on execution, strong cross-functional leadership, and the ability to move quickly without compromising safety, quality, or compliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing R&D and FSQA team
• Establish clear ownership across product development, quality, food safety, and regulatory functions
• Foster a culture of quality, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement

Product Strategy and Innovation

• Lead the innovation pipeline in alignment with company strategy and growth objectives
• Translate consumer, customer, and market needs into product concepts and technical requirements
• Define product specifications, quality standards, and acceptance criteria
• Manage the stage-gate process from concept through commercialization
• Balance innovation, speed to market, operational feasibility, and regulatory requirements

R&D and Product Development

• Lead formulation, testing, validation, and commercialization of new products and line extensions
• Ensure products can successfully scale from bench development to full production
• Oversee shelf-life studies, stability testing, sensory evaluations, and product validation
• Evaluate ingredient and packaging compatibility with product performance
• Support reformulation, cost optimization, and ongoing product improvements

Food Safety and Quality Systems

• Own and continuously improve FSQA systems, including HACCP, HARPC, GMPs, and supplier quality programs
• Ensure products meet internal specifications, brand standards, and customer requirements
• Oversee COA programs, laboratory testing, quality verification, and documentation processes
• Lead internal, customer, and regulatory audits
• Manage corrective and preventive action programs
• Monitor and improve product quality performance across the supply chain
• Lead the resolution of quality issues, product deviations, and food safety risks

Regulatory Compliance and Labeling

• Ensure compliance with FDA, FSMA, CODEX, and all other applicable regulatory requirements
• Oversee product labeling, claims substantiation, and ingredient compliance
• Maintain specifications, COAs, regulatory files, and other technical documentation
• Monitor regulatory changes and proactively address potential compliance risks
• Serve as the organization’s internal authority on food safety, quality, and regulatory matters

Commercialization and Lifecycle Management

• Partner with Operations to scale products into production and ensure manufacturability
• Support launches with complete specifications, SOPs, testing protocols, and quality controls
• Ensure alignment between R&D outputs and operational capabilities
• Manage product lifecycle initiatives, including reformulations, cost optimization, and discontinuations
• Confirm that product, testing, documentation, and operational requirements are complete before launch

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with Operations and Supply Chain to ensure products are scalable and aligned with manufacturing capabilities
• Work with Sales and Marketing to translate customer needs into compliant product concepts and claims
• Collaborate with Finance to align development priorities with cost targets and margin objectives
• Partner with Procurement and Supplier Management to ensure ingredient quality, supplier compliance, and risk mitigation
• Provide guidance on retailer, distributor, and marketplace requirements
• Give the COO clear visibility into product risks, regulatory exposure, quality performance, and commercialization readiness

What We’re Looking For

• 10 to 15 years of experience in R&D, FSQA, Quality, or Regulatory leadership, preferably within food, beverage, or consumer packaged goods
• Proven experience leading product development, commercialization, and quality systems
• Strong scientific and technical understanding of food systems, formulation, and ingredient functionality
• Deep knowledge of FDA, FSMA, CODEX, HACCP, HARPC, GMPs, and labeling regulations
• Experience managing co‑manufacturers, suppliers, and quality programs across a distributed supply chain
• Strong understanding of specifications, COAs, laboratory testing, shelf-life studies, and product validation
• Experience scaling products from bench development through commercial production
• Familiarity with retailer and customer audits, specifications, and compliance standards
• Experience with QMS, specification management systems, and documentation tools
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities
• Demonstrated ability to support innovation within a regulated environment
• Strong cross-functional leadership and communication skills
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, proactive, and comfortable operating in a fast- paced, entrepreneurial business
• PCQI, HACCP, SQF, BRCGS, ISO, or related food safety certification is preferred

What Success Looks Like

• The company has scalable R&D, food safety, quality, and regulatory processes
• Products consistently meet specifications, regulatory requirements, and brand standards
• Innovation moves efficiently from concept through commercialization
• Quality and regulatory risks are identified and addressed proactively
• Product launches are supported by complete specifications, testing, documentation, and operational readiness
• Supplier and manufacturing quality performance improves across the supply chain
• The organization can continue growing without compromising product integrity, safety, or compliance