VP PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Job Description

Job Description

At Thorne we make products that matter - ones that make people's lives better. Each day begins with a mission to help others discover and achieve their best health.

We count on our team members to challenge and push the boundaries to make that happen. At Thorne, you’ll be joining a team of more than 700 passionate individuals committed to our cause of providing superior health solutions.

POSITION SUMMARY : The Vice President, Product Development is responsible for leading the R&D Product Development department with leadership accountability for all NPD (Innovation and Renovation) projects from idea to launch, building a 3-year Innovation Pipeline, functional ownership of our formulation / process / packaging / sensory development and R&D lab / pilot plant capabilities, and overall product development expense and capital budgets.

This position is responsible for working with cross-functional departments within Thorne (Brand, Finance, Medical, Scientific, Clinical & Regulatory Affairs, Quality, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, etc.

and with upstream and downstream NPD providers (Ideation, Insights, Concept, Ingredient suppliers and contract manufacturers).

This position acts in coordination and partnership with R&D Project Management as co-chief of staff for the Chief Research & Development Officer.

RESPONSIBILITIES Satisfactorily performing and / or achieving the following Responsibilities are essential duties of the job.

• Leads the Product Development department in creating, developing, scaling-up to manufacturing and launching new products from Idea to Launch.
• Proactively builds 3-year balanced NPD Pipeline across our Ingredient-led and Benefit-led Platforms for Growth
• Manages the PD department’s capital, expense, and administrative budgets.
• Acts as co-chief of staff to the Chief R&D Officer to facilitate strategy, planning and execution of all short- and long-term strategy and execution pillars for R&D and Innovation at Thorne.
• Identifies, evaluates, and executes external R&D suppliers / providers / partner management projects and programs for new ingredients, product, and packaging delivery formats, enabling technologies, contract manufacturers etc.

to enable growth through revenue-generating Innovation.

• Attracts, retains, and develops best-in-class Product Development / Innovation talent.
• Acts as R&D Innovation Lead in proposing and prioritizing Innovation programs and projects in partnership with Leads in Brand Marketing, R&D Project Management, Supply Chain, Medical Affairs and Thorne Science Institute
• Champion of facilitating NPD execution from Idea to Launch using best-in-class Stage Gate and Pipeline management processes and ways of working.
• Acts as deputy to Chief R&D Officer in facilitating and leading the Ideation & Concept Exploratory front-end processes to fill the Innovation funnel.
• Builds and manages our Winning On Taste internal and external sensory infrastructure.
• Manages day-to-day planning, execution of tasks and investments in our short- and long-term Summerville R&D lab and pilot plant operations.
• Builds our Claims / Consumer Science capability to enable differentiation of our NPD Portfolio in partnership with Brand Marketing, Medical and Scientific Affairs.
• Actively participates in required training, development programs, and electives as suit one’s needs, and supports colleagues, trainers, and management as appropriate with these efforts
• Promotes the Company’s Mission and Values, including an accountable, innovative, and results-oriented culture that promotes customer service, openness, teamwork, mutual trust, and respect.
• Acts as Subject Matter expert in product formulation in all relevant dosage formats (solid dose, liquid, alternative and novel).
• PD leadership to support all International (custom) reformulations and global NPD

What You Need :

Experience and / or Education : Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Food / Nutrition Science, Pharmaceutical Science, Chemical Engineering or related field is required.

Advanced degree is a plus. Minimum of 10+ years of R&D / Product Development experience in the dietary supplement / functional nutrition industries operating and competing in DTC / CPG channels is required.

5+ years managing direct reports in an R&D / Growth driven organization. Experience operating in an FDA-regulated environment and / or in a manufacturing facility with a GCP / cGMP environment preferred.

What We Offer :

At Thorne, we offer employees the chance to work with great people on exciting projects, with opportunity for growth. We also provide a full range of benefits for you and your eligible family members, such as :

• Competitive compensation
• 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage
• Company-paid short- and long-term disability insurance
• Company- paid life insurance
• 401k plan with employer matching contributions up to 4%
• Gym membership reimbursement
• Monthly allowance of Thorne supplements
• Paid time off, volunteer time off and holiday leave
• Training, professional development, and career growth opportunities
• A safe and clean work environment

A little bit more about us.

We are committed to providing personalized health solutions, cutting-edge home health test technology, and superior supplements.

To do that, Thorne owns every step of its business, from R&D to product delivery and customer service. Currently, we are :

• The only company with exclusive partnerships with the Mayo Clinic and U.S. Olympic teams.
• The #1 prescribed practitioner brand to 30 to 40-year-olds.
• The #2 most dispensed supplement brand.
• The fastest growing supplement company with sales on Amazon; the #1 practitioner brand; with an average ranking of 4.42 of 5 stars.

If you want to make a difference in the lives of others consider becoming part of the Thorne team.

THORNE IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER