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Director, Product Development - VMS

United States of America - Irvine, California

Job Summary: 

The Director, Product Development - VMS, is responsible for directing product road map and strategy in the Nutritional Supplement and Sports vertical.   This individual will be responsible for end to end negotiating of the Product Development life-cycle including but not limited to: manufacturing costs, raw material sourcing, product components, project management and labels.  This position identifies vendors to work with in creating new products, product lines, and brands. Responsible for ensuring product design is consistent with market trends, business objectives, and ensures product quality and efficacy.  This person will also set the net payment terms for all vendors associated with Product Development. This position will manage multiple, complex projects and drive outcomes and optimal results.

 

Job Expectations:

  • Lead all aspects of the technical product formulation and process development from ideation through commercialization.
  • Drive product innovation, ensure the development and utilization of best practices in product and process development of new, improved, and cost-optimized formulations. 
  • Manage staff workload, give clear direction, and evaluate and develop performance.
  • Lead and own project management for new product development, existing product improvements and technical formula transfers 
  • Execute the formulation of efficacious products with strategic vision, including desired benefits, COG targets, formula validation, and sustainable sourcing.
  • Foster new and existing relationships with suppliers and contract manufacturers to develop and commercialize products to meet all product critical attributes and timelines.
  • Evaluate and negotiate product/ ingredient cost, build awareness, and communicate emerging trends in the global marketplace to manage potential supply issues, and market price fluctuations.
  • Collaborate with strategic partners to identify novel ingredients, products, and formats for various categories and propose new ideas for innovation. 
  • Evaluate vendor core competencies and competitive positioning to drive strategic sourcing goals.
  • Execute initiatives with suppliers and contract manufacturers to ensure product quality and safety.
  • Provide technical leadership on the scale-up, technical transfer, process development of new and existing products and oversee the seamless commercialization of new products with our co-manufacturing partners.
  • Identify risks and create opportunities for product optimization to improve consumer experience while delivering on cost savings. 
  • Establish regular communications stream and follow-up with all team/ project members.
  • Effectively troubleshoot and solve complex formulation & technical challenges in collaboration with contract manufacturers with speed and robustness.
  • Understanding of industry domestic regulators (FDA 21 CFR, FTC, OTC) and other global regulations that impact iHerb product development. 
  • Ensure supply chain continuity by effectively managing raw material substitutions and quality issues and/or product disruptions.
  • Partner with Marketing and iHerb (Marketing & Purchasing) to develop new products to evaluate. 
  • Prepare product formula documentation to send out for quotation and drive communication with co-manufacturers during the quotation and development process.
  • Champion new strategies for the product development team for future platform growth in key consumer need areas. 
  • Manage and oversee prototype organoleptic evaluations for new product concepts.
  • Manage the approval process (including timelines) for product design/development submissions and ensure vendors, the creative team and management are current on all steps of the process
  • Ensure well-organized documentation of all product development related activities.
  • Communicate goals and objectives and cascade to others, ensuring the workload is distributed appropriately to achieve goals and objectives
  • Cultivate an energizing work environment that supports high-performance while ensuring efficiency.
  • Stay current with the dietary supplement category, competition, formulation/processing technologies and nutritional ingredient trends and bring unique and relevant insights into the organization.

 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

  • Excellent negotiation skills
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills
  • Effectively work in cross functional team environment
  • Solutions-oriented and is comfortable working with ambiguity
  • Ability to work in a constant changing environment
  • Strong ability to think critically to overcome potential business hurdles to complete tasks
  • Coach and develop direct reports

 

Equipment Knowledge: 

  • Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
  • Experience with Google Business Suite (Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Forms) preferred

 

Experience Requirements:

Generally requires a minimum of ten (10) plus years of direct management experience and ten (10) plus years of consumer product management experience. Product Development Experience a must.

 

Education Requirements:

Bachelor’s Degree in Science, Pharmaceutical Science or related field preferred, or a combination of education and equivalent work experience.

 

#LI-ME1

The anticipated pay scale for this position can be found below, however the pay range applicable to you may vary by geographic location based on where the job is located or where you work.  The final pay offered to a successful candidate will be dependent on several factors that may include but are not limited to the type and years of experience within the job, the type of years and experience within the industry, education, etc.  iHerb, LLC is a multi-state employer and this pay scale may not reflect positions that work in other states or locations.

Employees (and their families) that meet eligibility criteria as outlined in applicable plan documents are eligible to participate in our medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance programs and may enroll in our company’s 401(k) plan. Employees will also be eligible for Time Off and Paid Sick Leave pursuant to the company’s policies. Employees will enjoy paid holidays throughout the calendar year.  Eligibility requirements for these benefits will be controlled by applicable plan documents.
Hired applicant may be awarded Restrict Stock Units and receive annual bonuses pursuant to eligibility and performance criteria defined in the respective plan documents and policies.
 
For more information on iHerb benefits, visit us at iHerbBenefits.com.

Anticipated Pay Scale:

$162,190 - $221,169 USD

Staffing Agency Submission Notice
iHerb does not accept unsolicited 3rd party ("Agency") candidates. If you are an Agency, please send any requests to be considered as a supplier in our Vendor Management System to staffingvendors@iherb.com. Do not contact iHerb employees directly. If requested to work on a role, any Agency candidates would be presented through the internal recruiting organization.

About iHerb
iHerb is on a mission to make health and wellness accessible to all. We offer Earth’s best-curated selection of health and wellness products, at the best possible value, delivered with the most convenient experience.

We’re the world’s largest eCommerce platform dedicated to vitamins, minerals, and supplements, and other health and wellness products. For more than 25 years, we’ve been making it simple for people all over the world to purchase the highest quality products. From supplements to skincare to grocery items, we ship over 50,000 products, from over 1,800 brands direct to our customers in 180+ countries.

Our vision is to become the #1 destination for health and wellness across the world.

With a passion for wellness and a mind for innovative solutions, iHerb team members share a vision for a healthier world that drives them each day. Our 5 Shared Values unite our global team:

Focus on the Customer · Empower Our People · Be Entrepreneurial & Pivot Quickly ·
Embrace Diversity & Inclusion · Strive for Simplicity

iHerb Benefits
At iHerb, we are dedicated to offering programs designed to help our employees and their families stay healthy, live well, and plan for their financial future. Built on a strong foundation, our programs provide options and upgrades with flexibility, protection, and security in mind. For the comprehensive benefits list, visit www.iHerbBenefits.com. For our international team members, you may be eligible for benefits depending on the country where you are employed. The Talent Acquisition Partner/local HR representative will go over the benefits you are eligible for. 

iHerb is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status. iHerb provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment.

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