Senior Vice President of Product Development

Company Information

Amylu Foods is a Female founded, high-growth, natural CPG company with over a century of tradition rooted in using fresh ingredients and hand-crafted recipes.

As the pioneers of chicken sausage, we blend innovation with experience, bringing bold, fresh flavors to the table.

From our Chicago roots, we've grown into a passionate, dedicated team of food enthusiasts, leading the category with our creative recipes, small-batch production, and constant flavor innovation.

Celebrating over 100 years of culinary craftsmanship, we're expanding our offerings and distribution nationwide, launching new and exciting products that continue to redefine the protein category.

The SVP, Product Development, will lead the end-to-end process of product innovation and commercialization for all product lines.

This executive level role oversees everything from initial culinary creation and flavor formulation to high-volume manufacturing scale-up, ensuring all products meet the rigorous standards and values of the company for quality, flavor and taste, safety, and overall operational efficiency.

• Strategic Innovation & Pipeline:
  Partner with leadership in innovation, sales, and marketing to establish a multi-year innovation roadmap for all company product lines, balancing core product renovations with transformative and new breakthroughs to maintain market leadership.
• End-to-End Product Development:
  Lead the "concept-to-shelf" process, including initial formulation, ingredient sourcing, rapid prototyping, and quality testing.
• Manufacturing Scale-up:
  Partner with operations and quality assurance to design and execute plant trials, ensuring successful technical transfer of recipes to large-scale production lines.
• Regulatory & Food Safety Leadership:
  Ensure absolute compliance with USDA and FDA regulations, including HACCP, labeling standards, and specific certifications such as Organic or Non-GMO.
• Continuous Improvement:
  Direct the refinement of existing products to optimize shelf-life, flavor profiles, and production costs without compromising quality.
• Executive
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Serve as a key member of the leadership team, aligning product development activities with commercial goals and communicating technical progress to non-technical stakeholders and leading the function of product development for the company.

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Meat Science, Chemistry or equivalent experience is required.
• Preference given for Master’s or Ph.D. or other advanced degrees or certifications in related fields.
• 15+ years of progressive product development leadership in the food industry, specifically with experience in meat protein, with a preference for direct experience in poultry manufacturing.
• Deep knowledge of meat proteins, sausage casing technology, thermal processing, and flavor application.
• Proven track record of managing high-performing, cross-functional teams and navigating a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment.
• Expertise in food formulation software, project portfolio management, and data-driven decision-making. Preference given for experience with clean-label and "better-for-you" poultry innovations.
• Strong existing relationships with key ingredient suppliers and scientific research institutions.
• Expert knowledge of flavor pairings, spices, ingredient functionality, and food chemistry.
• Exceptional creativity and a passion for developing unique, market-appealing flavors.
• Strong leadership, communication, and project management skills.
• Deep understanding of food safety standards and regulations (HACCP, GMP, FDA).
• Ability to balance culinary artistry with business acumen, cost and profitability goals.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and culinary/recipe management software.
• Ability to travel up to 20% for plant trials at company locations and other job requirements.

Amylu Foods is proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran, or disability status.

$200,000-$275-000