Senior Manager, R&D

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

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Vision, Dental Insurance

Company equity opportunity

401(k) with 4% match

Gym expenses covered

Job summary

Medici Brands is seeking a Senior Manager, R&D to lead a portfolio of protein-focused SKUs from concept through pilot, scale-up, and post-launch iteration, while mentoring a small bench of Food Scientists.

This working-manager role requires hands-on formulation at the bench and cross-functional leadership, partnering on regulatory, supply chain, and innovation roadmap. Travel up to 25% is expected.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in food science, R&D, or product development within food or CPG.
• 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.

Responsibilities

• Lead formulation, testing, and iteration across an assigned product line with deep knowledge of proteins, high-intensity sweeteners, fibers, and shelf-life kinetics.
• Own the technical relationship with co-manufacturers during scale-up and ongoing production.
• Build and lead a small team of Food Scientists / Senior Food Scientists; set priorities and coach on technical rigor.
• Define R&D agenda, prioritize innovative work with leadership, and partner with suppliers and academia.

Job description

Medici Brands is the parent company of David, Epogee, HallPass and several emerging brands launching in the near future. Medici Brands is led by CEO Peter Rahal, Co-founder and former CEO of RXBAR, and is focused on building brands that break the tradeoffs between taste and nutrition that have classically existed.

Role Overview:

Reporting to the Director of R&D, we are looking for a Senior Manager, R&D to lead and be responsible for a portfolio of SKUs end-to-end - from concept through pilot, scale-up, and post-launch iteration - while managing a small bench team of Food Scientists.

This is a working-manager role. You'll still be hands-on at the bench for the hardest formulation problems, and you'll be responsible for prioritization, mentorship, and cross-functional delivery across your product line.

Formulation & Technical Ownership

• Lead formulation, testing, and iteration across an assigned product line, applying deep working knowledge of proteins, high-intensity and rare sweeteners, fibers, binding systems, and shelf-life kinetics.
• Diagnose and resolve finished-product failures - texture drift, binding failure, flavor instability, processing defects - with speed and technical precision.
• Own the technical relationship with co-manufacturers during scale-up and ongoing production, including trial planning and troubleshooting on the plant floor.
• Manage and develop 2–3 Food Scientists / Senior Food Scientists - setting priorities, reviewing experimental design, and coaching on technical rigor.
• Build project ownership models so each scientist can run a workstream independently while staying aligned to portfolio priorities.
• Instill a culture of creativity and experimentation on the team — carving out space for scientists to explore unconventional ingredient pairings and formats, and championing bold ideas even when they carry technical risk.

Innovation Pipeline

• Stay current on ingredient technologies and processing methods relevant to high-protein systems - precision fermentation proteins, novel sweeteners, encapsulation — and bring forward recommendations for the innovation roadmap.
• Lead strategic research initiatives that look 12–24 months ahead of the current portfolio, scoping exploratory workstreams around emerging ingredient technologies and translating early-stage findings into actionable innovation bets.
• Define and prioritize the R&D research agenda in partnership with the R&D leadership team, balancing near-term product fixes against longer-horizon platform-building work.
• Build and maintain relationships with ingredient suppliers, co-manufacturers, and academic/industry contacts to keep the team plugged into where science is heading, not just where it’s been.

Cross-Functional & Regulatory

• Partner with Regulatory/QA to ensure ingredient selection, labeling, and claims are compliant with FDA nutrition labeling requirements and emerging sweetener/fat-replacer guidance.
• Work with Supply Chain and Procurement on ingredient sourcing, cost targets, and supplier qualification.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in food science, R&D, or product development within food 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.

Practicalities:

• Full-time, in-person role
• Travel expectations up to 25% (manufacturing, suppliers, etc.)
• Salary: $170,000 – $200,000 per year, inclusive of cash bonus based on attainment of company targets
• Company equity opportunity
• 100% covered Health, Vision, Dental Insurance
• 401(k) with 4% match
• Additional perks, such as covered gym expenses