Senior Innovation Manager

onnitlabs; United States; Remote; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Onnit is seeking a dedicated owner for its innovation pipeline to drive end-to-end product launches. You will bridge R&D and Brand, evaluate evidence behind ingredients, and shape a portfolio that supports total human optimization. This is a remote role based in the U.S.

with preference for NYC, LA, or Austin and up to 25% travel. Reports to the Chief Marketing Officer and collaborates across functions. You don’t need to be a scientist, but you must fluently translate the science into commercial

Qualifications

• 8+ years in CPG innovation, NPD or R&D, with multiple products taken from concept to launch.
• Experience in supplements, functional or sports nutrition, or closely related category.
• Strong scientific literacy: read a clinical study, judge quality, explain results and limitations.

Responsibilities

• Own the ingredient opportunity map and prioritize ingredients for Total Human optimization.
• Expand formats, flavors, and categories with cross-functional collaboration and clear recommendations.
• Lead evidence reviews on dose, delivery, safety, and study quality with formulators and advisers.
• Build a rolling 12–18 month roadmap balancing extensions and major bets, with stage-gated launches.
• Co-lead go-to-market with Brand, enabling sales and partners with credible launch stories and evidence.

Skills

CPG innovation

NPD

R&D collaboration

Job description

About Onnit:

Onnit is an Austin, Texas based health and wellness company that sells dietary supplements direct to consumers and through retail distribution. As a trusted and serious supplement brand, we provide high-quality products with clinically studied ingredients designed to unlock a deeper mind-body connection and enhance both mental and physical performance. Unlike other supplement brands, Onnit enables strength from within, empowering individuals to operate at their peak every day. Backed by medical professionals, industry experts, and a loyal community, we are staying true to our mission of total human optimization.

We are part of the Wellbeing Collective, an exciting Global Business Unit within Unilever built with a start-up mindset. Our mission, with our science-backed and disruptive portfolio, is to improve the health and well-being of millions of consumers and continue leading in the Health and Wellness space.

If you are interested in joining a culture that strives for Curiosity, Discipline, Approachability, Commitment, and Ownership Mindset then we invite you to join our mission to optimize human potential!

JOB SUMMARY

ONNIT is doubling its launch cadence in 2027 and expanding into new categories, and we need a dedicated owner for the pipeline. In this role, you'll lead our innovation pipeline end to end, from spotting promising ingredients to launching products customers love. You'll bridge R&D and Brand. You don't need to be a scientist, but you do need to be fluent in both the evidence behind an ingredient and the commercial case for a product.

Reports to: Chief Marketing Officer, in close partnership with the Chief Operating Officer

Team: Individual contributor leading cross-functional project teams

Scope: Supplements and functional nutrition: new ingredients, formats, flavors, categories, and hero-product renovations

Location: Remote (U.S.); NYC, LA, or Austin preferred. Travel up to 25%

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Discover what's next

Own the ingredient opportunity map. Prioritize the ingredients most likely to shape Total Human optimization, starting with our core need states (cognition and focus, energy, sleep and stress, recovery) and extending to adjacent ones (gut health, hormonal health, longevity).

Separate signal from hype. Track emerging clinical research, branded and patented ingredients, and new delivery technologies, and run ONNIT's trend radar with clear recommendations for leadership each quarter.

Define where we play next

Expand our format and flavor range. Evaluate new form factors, from gummies, chews, and stick packs to ready-to-drink and functional foods, and set taste targets with R&D and flavor-house partners, ensuring daily products are ones people look forward to.

Make the case for new categories. Recommend which categories ONNIT enters as part of our 2027 expansion, and in what order, informed by consumer evidence and regular competitive teardowns.

Build on credible evidence

Lead evidence reviews. Assess dose, delivery, bioavailability, safety, and study quality, and hold the line on clinically meaningful doses with formulators and scientific advisors.

Build compliance in from day one. Partner with Regulatory and Legal on regulatory pathway (including New Dietary Ingredient requirements), claims and substantiation, and third-party certifications like NSF Certified for Sport where they matter to our athletes.

Turn science into a story people trust. Create a science brief for every launch covering approved claims, the evidence behind them, and a plain-language story.

Own the roadmap and drive concepts to launch

Build a balanced roadmap. Turn brand strategy into a rolling 12-18-month roadmap that balances line extensions and hero-product renovations with bigger bets, supporting our goal to double launch cadence in 2027.

Run a right-sized stage-gate. Quick-turn gates for extensions and renovations, a fuller path for new ingredients, formats, categories, and monthly pipeline reporting that recommends stopping projects early when the case doesn't hold.

Lead cross-functional launch teams. Drive approved concepts to launch with R&D, Operations, Quality and Procurement, owning COGS, margin, and timeline targets and making sure formula, packaging, labeling, and supply are ready ahead of each channel's timeline, including retail sell-in windows.

Prove the case and co-lead go-to-market

Stay with every launch past the handoff. Co-lead go-to-market with Brand on positioning, naming and the launch story; equip sales, retail partners, and athletes to talk about each product credibly, and track performance at 30, 60, and 90 days.

QUALIFICATIONS

8+ years in CPG innovation, NPD or R&D, with multiple products taken from concept to launch

Experience in supplements, functional or sports nutrition, or a closely related category

Strong scientific literacy. You can read a clinical study, judge its quality, and explain what it does and doesn't prove, including on saf