Director, Innovation & Product Development

ABOUT US:

Built around our mission, we started Athletic Greens more than a decade ago as a way to bring comprehensive and convenient daily nutrition to just about everybody. Originators of the Essentialist Nutrition movement, our philosophy is to focus on a very small number of products based on what the latest science indicates is essential to human health.

AG1 is made from the highest quality ingredients, in accordance with the strictest standards and obsessively improved based on the latest science. 75 vitamins, minerals, and whole-food sourced nutrients in one convenient daily serving. Optimized for athletes, life-letes, and everyone in between. Vegan, Paleo, and Keto-friendly. One scoop or travel packet, 8 ounces of water. Every day. That's it.

Our mission is to empower people to take ownership of their health.

THE ROLE:

We are looking for an experienced, dynamic, and forward-thinking Director of Innovation and Product Development to join our rapidly-expanding Research, Nutrition, and Innovation department. The key functions of this role are to serve as the scientific expert and SME behind the formulation of AG1 and to offer continuous support in the development of current and future products.

Reporting directly to the Head of Nutrition, Dr. Ralph Esposito, this position will be responsible for elevating the company’s product offerings from a holistic, scientific, and integrative approach. You will play an integral role in establishing the company’s product strategy and roadmap, both within our current category and in new categories. Our ideal candidate is a strategic thinker who assesses and takes calculated risks in order to push innovative boundaries.

WHO YOU ARE:

• You come to the table with new and creative ideas to challenge ways of thinking and tackling the problem through an innovative lens.
• You analytically view a problem not only through the reductionistic model but view it holistically through a synergistic model using multiple tools from systems biology, medicine, nutritional biochemistry, etc. All with the intention and understanding that there is much we don’t know in health and science but we must be lead with the evidence rather than be limited by the evidence.
• You live for the challenge of looking for new and innovative ways on improving product quality, efficacy and consumer outcomes.
• You have the intellectual curiosity to learn more about novel ingredients and new mechanisms of actions of various nutrients and their impact on the human body.
• You crave learning and view it as a necessity and hobby and use your curiosity and search for better to drive new and improved outcomes.
• A leader with the drive to push the boundaries to bring nutrition and the health sciences to a new frontier.
• You have an ownership mentality - no task is too small or impossible. Someone who responds to challenges with “how” and “why” and never settling for acceptable.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Commit to driving excellence within the innovation function at AG.
• Work directly with the highest performing team in nutrition. Partner with internal leaderships and external nutritional board members to build and execute strategic product plans plans to develop a pipeline of innovation that deliver against business needs across multiple global markets.
• Initiate, spearhead and manage the product development process of current AG1 and future products on global basis.
• Proactively identify gaps and areas of opportunity in the current formulation and establish action plans.
• Partner closely with the Research team to expand knowledge and understanding of key ingredients.
• Establish ingredient standards for the AG1 product portfolio from a nutrition perspective and identifying ingredients that we would want to work with and not work with.
• Support innovation efforts from a product quality perspective.

• Work closely with the senior leadership team to align on product strategies surrounding our hero product, AG1 and ensuring alignment with the company’s vision and mission.
• Develop innovation processes with the purpose to review, validate and test formulation improvements.
• Work closely with the Supply Chain team on risk mitigation as it relates to changes and updates in the product development process.
• Partner with key stakeholders such as the Research Team, Sourcing, Quality, and Procurement to ensure highly quality of ingredients.
• Manage the review process with external nutritional board members including presenting recommendations from the board to the business and engaging in frequent, ongoing communication.
• Develop and establish product development plans for international markets.
• Maintain a level of clear, constant and effective communication across the organization with project teams, stakeholders and executive management.
• Foster an environment of cross-functional fluency for the RNI department and other teams across the organization.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in a product development role within the health and supplement industry.
• Background in sciences including integrative medicine, naturopathy, biochemistry, or related sciences.
• Experience leading performance-driven teams and serving as a mentor and coach.
• Supports and leads a continuous improvement environment.

• Intellectually curious and motivated to learn more about the Nutrition, Research, and Innovation strategies for Athletic Greens products.
• Solution-oriented and is comfortable working with ambiguity.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership for outcomes while prioritizing and juggling multiple projects.
• Strong adaptability, flexibility and resourcefulness.
• Demonstrated experience and ability in forming relationships with and working with multiple stakeholders, both internal and external, in a remote environment.
• A full life outside of work with personal passions and hobbies!

WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU?

• A 100% remote working environment, which has been implemented from day one.
• An immensely strong company culture that is enforced through the hiring process ensures values alignment and a highly collaborative team.
• 90% premium coverage for top medical, dental and vision plans.
• Employer paid short-term disability and life insurance.
• A mission-driven approach to each and everything that we do, with an overall goal to significantly improve our customer's health and wellness.
• Paid maternity and paternity leave to allow you to spend time with your new family.
• A monthly fitness class credit to support you on your health and fitness journey.
• Annual company-wide retreats and quarterly department-wide meet-ups (COVID permitting).
• A 401k plan with company-matching because life is an opportunity and we care about your future.
• Paid holidays and an unlimited vacation policy to ensure you have a healthy work-life balance.
• The opportunity to work with passionate, high-growth, business-minded colleagues.
• A brand new company laptop and a generous home-office budget so you can work your best.
• Access to Athletic Greens product and swag items.

Athletic Greens is dedicated to providing equitable and competitive compensation & benefits packages. For this particular role, the base salary range is $140,000 - $195,000 and will ultimately be decided at the offer stage, based on an individual candidate’s level of skills and experience aligned with the needs of this role. Base salary is one component of total compensation for this position. We provide a competitive mix of base salary, performance bonus, and stock option allocation for eligible roles.

Athletic Greens is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to inspiring fulfilling lives, starting with a focus on health and we believe this starts in the workplace. We do this by providing employees with a safe and welcoming work environment free of discrimination and harassment. We strive to create a diverse & inclusive environment where all team members can thrive, feel a sense of belonging, and make a difference in the world together. We do not discriminate based on age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, pregnancy, veteran status, disability, or any other status protected by law. We are an equal opportunity employer.