Innovation and New Product Development Manager at Birdman

Guadalajara, jalisco, Mexico -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

21 Jul, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

22 Apr, 26

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Product development, Innovation management, Stage-gate methodology, R&D leadership, Food science, Regulatory compliance, Sensory evaluation, Project management, Ingredient functionality, Scale-up, Technical validation, Cross-functional leadership, Formulation, Quality assurance, Strategic planning, IP management

Industry

Food & Beverages

Description

About Birdman Birdman is Mexico’s leading plant-based foods and supplements company, building delicious, functional, and nutritionally exceptional products that help people and the planet thrive. With rapid sustained growth and international expansion ahead, we are strengthening our Innovation function to build world-class technical capabilities in product development, ingredient innovation, and scale-up. Come build a better future for food, health and sustainability with us! The Role As Innovation & New Product Development Manager, you will lead Birdman’s innovation pipeline from opportunity identification through launch and post-launch improvement, ensuring we develop best-in-class products from the technical, sensory, financial, and market perspectives. You will lead the end-to-end NPD process using a disciplined stage-gate methodology, ensuring strong prioritization, tight project management, timely execution, and compliant launches. This role also leads the R&D and Technical Lab, helping raise the bar of our product development discipline, technical rigor, and sensory standards. Beyond consumer-facing product innovation, this role also drives innovation in the technical foundations behind our products. That includes developing differentiated ingredient advantages internally and in partnership with suppliers, improving raw materials and functionality, identifying technical and process improvements that enable world-class manufacturing, and helping build and protect Birdman’s innovation assets through brand development and IP management. This person will help shape not only what we launch, but how we build the capabilities and defensibility behind it. The Candidate The ideal candidate is a strong technical expert in food, supplements, nutrition, or related categories, with a proven track record leading innovation and New Product Development. They bring the scientific depth and technical judgment to guide formulation, ingredient functionality, technical feasibility, scale-up, stability, and product validation, while also being highly organized and capable of managing multiple complex projects with rigor and discipline. Just as importantly, we are looking for someone with a genuine passion for food and product creation. Someone who cares deeply about flavor, texture, aroma, and the full consumer experience, and who has the sensory discernment to know when a product is truly exceptional versus simply acceptable. This person should be excited by the craft of building great products and capable of coaching the team to consistently raise the sensory bar of what Birdman brings to market. They are both a builder and an operator: able to identify attractive opportunities, translate them into a strong innovation pipeline, and lead them through development with speed, rigor, and high standards. They also have the credibility to help Marketing and Sales understand why a product wins, and the technical leadership to help Birdman build differentiated advantages through products, ingredients, brands, formulations, and process innovation. Responsibilities and Activities Lead Birdman’s end-to-end New Product Development process from opportunity identification through launch and post-launch reiteration. Build, prioritize, and manage the innovation pipeline based on market opportunity, strategic fit, competitive landscape, and financial potential. Lead product development projects through stage-gate with strong governance, timeline control, prioritization, and cross-functional execution. Ensure new products meet Birdman standards across product quality, sensory experience, technical robustness, profitability, competitiveness, and market relevance. Own product regulatory compliance within the innovation process, ensuring formulations, ingredients, claims, labeling, and launch requirements are developed in line with applicable regulations and internal standards, in close partnership with Regulatory and Quality. Lead the R&D and Technical Lab, strengthening team capability, development discipline, and quality of execution. Provide technical leadership across formulation, ingredient functionality, feasibility, analytical support, sensory science, scale-up, tech transfer, stability, and validation. Drive innovation not only in consumer-facing products, but also in ingredients, raw materials, and manufacturing-enabling process improvements. Partner with suppliers to improve raw materials, co-develop differentiated ingredient advantages, and strengthen product functionality, consistency, organoleptics, and cost performance. Lead the internal development of price-pack architecture, with input from Revenue and Finance, ensuring proposals meet profitability and competitive targets. Partner with Marketing, Sales, and Brand on concept development, commercialization support, education, and brand-building innovation. Support the protection and stewardship of Birdman’s innovation assets, including registered brands, proprietary formulations, and related documentation and IP processes. Define and lead stability, stress-testing, and shelf-life validation strategies to ensure products remain true to their intended experience through shelf life. Partner with Regulatory, Quality, Manufacturing, and Packaging to ensure compliant launches, strong technical transfer, and robust long-term product performance. Review post-launch performance and lead reiteration efforts to strengthen product, claims, positioning, economics, or technical robustness where needed. Basic Requirements Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Biotechnology, Nutrition, Chemical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a related scientific field. Master’s degree preferred. 5+ years of experience in innovation, R&D, and/or product development within food, supplements, pharma, nutrition, or related industries. At least 3 years leading the team. Strong understanding of regulatory requirements in food and/or supplements, with the ability to lead compliant product development across formulation, claims, labeling, and launch readiness. Strong experience leading end-to-end New Product Development from concept through launch. Proven ability to manage multiple complex projects with strong structure, prioritization, and follow-through; PMO-style discipline is highly valued. Experience working with stage-gate or similarly structured product development methodologies. Strong technical knowledge of formulation, ingredient functionality, feasibility, scale-up, tech transfer, stability, and product validation. Experience collaborating with suppliers on ingredient development, raw material improvement, or technical innovation. Experience evaluating product stability and shelf-life performance and translating findings into product, ingredient, packaging, or process improvements. Strong sensory judgment and hands-on experience in organoleptic evaluation and product optimization. Strong commercial judgment, including the ability to assess opportunities from technical, sensory, financial, and market perspectives. Strong understanding of regulatory and compliance requirements in food and/or supplements. Demonstrated leadership, communication, and cross-functional influencing skills. Full professional English proficiency. Desired Requirements Passion for food, flavour, texture, indulgency and aroma. Highly developed sensorial discernment. MBA. Experience developing plant-based products. Experience in supplements, functional foods, proteins, powders, or beverage systems. Experience in technical or process improvements that enhance manufacturability and scale-up success. Experience with analytical lab and sensory science capabilities. Experience with price-pack architecture, profitability-led innovation, brand development, or IP/documentation stewardship. Experience in high-growth, fast-paced, innovation-driven environments.

Responsibilities

Lead the end-to-end new product development process from opportunity identification through launch using a disciplined stage-gate methodology. Manage the R&D and technical lab to ensure product quality, sensory excellence, and technical robustness across the innovation pipeline.