Senior Manager, R&D

Medici Brands; New York (NY); On-site; USD 170,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company equity

Health, Vision, Dental Insurance (100%

401(k) with 4% match

Salary $170k–$200k with cash bonus

Gym expenses covered

Generous PTO

Job summary

Medici Brands is seeking a Senior Manager of R&D to lead and own a portfolio of SKUs from concept through pilot, scale-up, and post-launch iteration. You will manage a small bench team of food scientists while hands-on with challenging formulation problems.

You will drive prioritization, mentorship, and cross-functional delivery across your product line, partnering with regulatory, QA, supply chain, and external co-manufacturers.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in food science, R&D, or product development with infood or CPG, including 4+ years directly managing scientists.
• Deep hands-on formulation experience in high-protein systems (bars, dairy/frozen, or confection).
• Track record taking products from bench through commercial scale with a co-manufacturer.
• Comfort operating with startup pace and ambiguity—this is not a role for someone who needs a mature, fully built-out process.

Responsibilities

• Lead formulation, testing, and iteration across an assigned product line, owning technical development.
• Mentor and manage 2–3 food scientists, prioritizing experimental design and technical rigor.
• Own the technical relationship with co-manufacturers during scale-up and ongoing production.

Skills

Food science

R&D

Product development

People management

Formulation

Tools

Co-manufacturers coordination

Job description

TheCompany:

MediciBrandsistheparentcompanyofDavid,Epogee,HallPassandseveralemergingbrandslaunchinginthenearfuture.MediciBrandsisledbyCEOPeterRahal,Co-founderandformerCEOofRXBAR,andisfocusedonbuildingbrandsthatbreakthetradeoffsbetweentasteandnutritionthathaveclassicallyexisted.

RoleOverview:

ReportingtotheDirectorofR&D,wearelookingforaSeniorManager,R&DtoleadandberesponsibleforaportfolioofSKUsend-to-end-fromconceptthroughpilot,scale-up,andpost-launchiteration-whilemanagingasmallbenchteamofFoodScientists.

Thisisaworking-managerrole.You'llstillbehands-onatthebenchforthehardestformulationproblems,andyou'llberesponsibleforprioritization,mentorship,andcross-functionaldeliveryacrossyourproductline.

Formulation&TechnicalOwnership

• Leadformulation,testing,anditerationacrossanassignedproductline,applyingdeepworkingknowledgeofproteins,high-intensityandraresweeteners,fibers,bindingsystems,andshelf-lifekinetics.
• Diagnoseandresolvefinished-productfailures-texturedrift,bindingfailure,flavorinstability,processingdefects-withspeedandtechnicalprecision.
• Ownthetechnicalrelationshipwithco-manufacturersduringscale-upandongoingproduction,includingtrialplanningandtroubleshootingontheplantfloor.

TeamLeadership

• Manageanddevelop2–3FoodScientists/SeniorFoodScientists-settingpriorities,reviewingexperimentaldesign,andcoachingontechnicalrigor.
• Buildprojectownershipmodelssoeachscientistcanrunaworkstreamindependentlywhilestayingalignedtoportfoliopriorities.
• Instillacultureofcreativityandexperimentationontheteam—carvingoutspaceforscientiststoexploreunconventionalingredientpairingsandformats,andchampioningboldideasevenwhentheycarrytechnicalrisk.

InnovationPipeline

• Staycurrentoningredienttechnologiesandprocessingmethodsrelevanttohigh-proteinsystems-precisionfermentationproteins,novelsweeteners,encapsulation—andbringforwardrecommendationsfortheinnovationroadmap.
• Leadstrategicresearchinitiativesthatlook12–24monthsaheadofthecurrentportfolio,scopingexploratoryworkstreamsaroundemergingingredienttechnologiesandtranslatingearly-stagefindingsintoactionableinnovationbets.
• DefineandprioritizetheR&DresearchagendainpartnershipwiththeR&Dleadershipteam,balancingnear-termproductfixesagainstlonger-horizonplatform-buildingwork.
• Buildandmaintainrelationshipswithingredientsuppliers,co-manufacturers,andacademic/industrycontactstokeeptheteampluggedintowherescienceisheading,notjustwhereit'sbeen.

Cross-Functional&Regulatory

• PartnerwithRegulatory/QAtoensureingredientselection,labeling,andclaimsarecompliantwithFDAnutritionlabelingrequirementsandemergingsweetener/fat-replacerguidance.
• WorkwithSupplyChainandProcurementoningredientsourcing,costtargets,andsupplierqualification.

• 10+yearsofexperienceinfoodscience,R&D,orproductdevelopmentwithinfoodorCPG,including4+yearsdirectlymanagingscientists.
• Deephands-onformulationexperienceinhigh-proteinsystems(bars,dairy/frozen,orconfection).
• Trackrecordtakingproductsfrombenchthroughcommercialscalewithaco-manufacturer.
• Comfortoperatingwithstartuppaceandambiguity-thisisnotaroleforsomeonewhoneedsamature,fullybuilt-outprocess.

• Full-time,in-personrole
• Travelexpectationsupto25%(manufacturing,suppliers,etc.)
• Salary:$170,000–$200,000peryear,inclusiveofcashbonusbasedonattainmentofcompanytargets
• Companyequityopportunity
• 100%coveredHealth,Vision,DentalInsurance
• 401(k)with4%match
• Additionalperks,suchascoveredgymexpenses
• SubstantialandrequiredPTO