HEAD OF PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

HEAD OF PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Our client is an ambitious, innovative startup of passionate people who are joining forces to create a new category of non-alcoholic drinks. Through their brand and products, they aim to celebrate courage and exploration.

We are seeking a leader to guide the core of Product Development.

About the job :

1. Strategic Product Development : Transform visionary ideas into tangible products by investigating and introducing new raw materials and botanicals, blending and transforming them into highly flavorful alcohol-free liquids. Collaborate with the Research team and external partners to test innovative processes and technologies that deliver recipes with unmatched flavor and quality. Drive the development of cutting-edge, shelf-stable formulations, meticulously testing each product to ensure optimal flavor, aroma, and shelf life. Collaborate closely with suppliers to source high-quality ingredients aligned with our mission to give new dignity to forgotten and undervalued plants, roots, and herbs.
2. Project Management Excellence : Oversee multiple R&D projects simultaneously, ensuring milestones, deadlines, and budgets are met. Build collaborations with chefs and sommeliers, including developing new recipes. Establish clear KPIs to measure project success from ideation to product launch.
3. Customer-Centric Market Analysis : Engage directly with key customers (chefs, sommeliers, private consumers) to understand their needs through periodic panels. Work with sales and marketing teams to create a feedback loop from the market. Integrate customer insights and market trend analyses into ongoing product improvements and future developments.
4. Champion an Innovative Experimentation Culture : Act as a bridge between Product Development, Research, Production, Sales, and Marketing to ensure strategic alignment. Promote a culture of experimentation where bold ideas are tested and iterated upon, and educate teams about tasting, botanicals, and fermentations.

The ideal candidate will have the following skills, knowledge, and experiences :

• Scientific degree : in food technologies, microbiology, biology, oenology, etc.
• Minimum 5 years of experience, preferably in R&D departments of food companies. Experience with beer, wine, yogurt, drinks, or kombucha is advantageous.
• Strong interest and passion for gastronomy.
• Proficiency in data analysis to interpret research results and inform decisions.
• Entrepreneurial spirit, explorative, pragmatic, and independent.
• Excellent team-player and communicator with strong project management skills to coordinate complex projects and stakeholders.

We value diversity and inclusivity, working with people from various international backgrounds. Proficiency in English is required; Italian is a plus. Willingness to work in Trentino.

Location : Trentino (North of Trento)

Intermedia Selection is a leading company in Italy for professional and middle management recruitment, with over 35 consultants across Milan and Rome. Authorized by the Ministry of Labour n° 20323 / RS.