Product Innovation Manager

WHO ARE WE?

We are the VMS Co-Op, a group of fast growing companies in the Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements (VMS) space. The VMS Co-Op includes OLLY, Smarty Pants and future acquisitions to come! This position's home company is OLLY.

THE ROLE: PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGER

Reporting to the Director of Innovation of VMS, you will have the opportunity in supporting shape the VMS-Co-Op pipeline. As a Product Innovation Manager, you will play a critical role in leading and supporting the development of new products across the OLLY and Smarty Pants brands. This role requires a strong technical foundation in dietary supplements, a passion for innovation, and the ability to drive projects from the exploratory phase through early-stage development with minimal oversight.

You excel at hands-on work in a development kitchen setting with little to no oversight and think in disruptive ways to solve problems. You work in a fast-paced and agile manner to ensure efficiency and accuracy.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Formulation & Benchtop Development

• Partner with Sourcing and Science teams to identify, evaluate, and select novel ingredients for new product initiatives.

• Review and assess raw material documentation during ingredient exploration to ensure compliance and suitability.

• Conduct benchtop evaluation of raw materials to assess organoleptic properties and identify potential formulation challenges.

• Independently draft paper formula cards across various formats, including established (e.g., gummies) and emerging dosage formats.

• Perform early-stage cost modeling to assess formulation cost viability to determine target cost-of-goods to align with financial assumptions.

• Execute benchtop formulations and generate prototypes for internal evaluation.

• Document technical findings and formulation learnings in detailed reports to support seamless handoffs to the Development team.

Project Management & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead early-phase new product development (NPD) work streams, ensuring alignment with project timelines, milestones, and strategic objectives.

• Collaborate closely with Brand, Creative, Science, and Development teams to translate technical insights into data-driven decisions shaping the product concept.

• Support or lead the exploration and development of new product formats and technologies.

• Professionally engage with external partners-including development agencies, flavor houses, contract manufacturers and ingredient suppliers-to support NPD efforts and ensure technical alignment.

Sensory & Innovation Insights

• Conduct and document sensory evaluations (taste, texture, aroma) with cross-functional stakeholders, maintaining organized records of feedback and data.

• Monitor and report on emerging ingredient, flavor, and format trends to inform pipeline innovation.

Operational Excellence

• Maintain accurate and compliant records, including formula cards and lab notebooks, in accordance with Good Documentation Practices (GDP).

• Manage inventory of R&D ingredients, lab supplies, and prototype samples.

• Oversee the organization and cleanliness of the Product Development kitchen and storage areas.

• Coordinate sample shipments to internal and external stakeholders.

CAPABILITIES + SKILLS REQUIRED

• 5+ years of R&D experience in dietary supplements, food or pharma industry. Gummy and other confectionary experience strongly preferred

• Bachelor's degree in food science, Chemistry, or related science field

• Familiarity with FDA guidelines for dietary supplementation and regulatory processes

• Familiarity with commercialization process of CPG and Pharma products with focus on gummies, capsules, probiotic formulations and confectionary goods

• Comfortable working with kitchen tools and supplies and preparing confectionary, solid and/or non-solid dosage formats

• Familiarity with lab equipment (pH meter, Brix Meter, analytical balance, etc.)

• Proficient in Microsoft Office

• Ability to perform medium physical work, stand for extended periods of time, and lift up to 50lbs occasionally

• Working knowledge of vitamins and dietary supplement formulation, assessing stability data and risks, regulatory standings, and assessing clinical studies

• Ability to execute daily…