Job Description
*This is NOT a job at ForceBrands*
R&D Manager – Beverage Formulation & Lab Operations
Our client, a high-growth beverage development company, is hiring an R&D Manager who will serve as the lead formulator and technical expert while supporting lab operations and team development.
This is a hands-on role for someone who thrives at the bench, enjoys solving complex formulation challenges, and wants to play a key role in building structure within a fast-paced, client-driven environment.
What You’ll Do:
- Lead hands-on beverage formulation, including benchtop development, troubleshooting, and optimization
- Act as the technical expert in client-facing conversations, guiding formulation decisions and managing expectations
- Support lab operations across several concurrent projects, helping improve workflows and communication from kickoff through delivery
- Mentor and support formulators, elevating technical capabilities and consistency of output
- Collaborate cross-functionally with sourcing and operations to align formulations with ingredient availability and commercialization pathways
- Contribute to building and improving SOPs, documentation, and lab systems/tools
- Support scale-up considerations and work with co-manufacturers as needed
What We’re Looking For:
- Bachelor’s degree in Food Science or related field (Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, etc.)
- Strong hands-on beverage formulation experience (RTD required; RTM powders strongly preferred)
- Experience working in a lab environment (formulation lab, pilot plant, or similar)
- Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment
- Experience working cross-functionally with R&D, sourcing, and/or operations teams
- Comfortable in client-facing settings as a technical expert
Nice-to-Haves:
- Experience mentoring or leading junior formulators
- Exposure to scale-up, pilot production, or co-manufacturing
- Experience improving processes, SOPs, or lab systems
Who You Are:
- A formulator first, with strong technical depth and curiosity
- Hands-on, adaptable, and solutions-oriented
- Comfortable operating in a growing, evolving environment
- Excited to take ownership and have a direct impact on both product and process