Senior Director of Innovation

A leading U.S.-based manufacturer of botanical and nutraceutical products - recognized for its commitment to organic, wildcrafted ingredients and advanced extraction techniques - is seeking a visionary Senior Director of Innovation to define and lead the future of plant-based wellness.

This role is designed for a bold, forward-thinking leader who can move beyond traditional product development to shape categories, unlock white space, and build the next generation of wellness solutions. The candidate will architect a long-term innovation vision that honors the company’s heritage in high-quality botanical extracts while expanding into new formats, technologies, and consumer-centric platforms.

You will lead the creation of a dynamic, insight-driven innovation engine - one that blends scientific rigor, consumer understanding, and rapid experimentation to deliver differentiated, efficacious products at scale. This is a highly visible leadership role responsible for translating emerging wellness trends into breakthrough concepts, building a robust and balanced pipeline, and fostering a culture of creativity and calculated risk-taking across the organization with room to grow.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and lead a bold, forward-looking innovation strategy aligned with long-term growth ambitions and botanical heritage
• Identify and define future white space opportunities across emerging wellness categories, including adjacencies beyond traditional supplements
• Translate macro trends (e.g., longevity, cognitive health, stress, bioavailability, personalization) into disruptive product concepts and scalable platforms
• Champion a consumer-first innovation approach grounded in deep insights, unmet needs, and evolving health behaviors
• Architect and manage a best-in-class innovation pipeline, balancing breakthrough innovation with strategic renovation and line extensions
• Build scalable product platforms across multiple delivery systems, including liquids, capsules, gummies, powders, and next-generation formats
• Lead advanced R&D initiatives, including the discovery, validation, and application of novel botanical and nutraceutical ingredients
• Leverage expertise in phytochemistry, extraction technologies, and formulation science to develop highly efficacious, differentiated products
• Establish agile innovation processes that enable rapid prototyping, testing, and iteration
• Drive renovation and revitalization of core product lines through meaningful innovation, improved efficacy, and modernized delivery formats
• Build and lead a culture of creativity, experimentation, and continuous innovation across cross-functional teams
• Serve as a thought leader, effectively communicating innovation vision and aligning executive stakeholders around strategic priorities
• Develop strategic partnerships with ingredient suppliers, research institutions, and external innovators to unlock new capabilities and technologies
• Collaborate with manufacturing, supply chain, and procurement to ensure scalability, quality, and cost efficiency
• Ensure all products meet regulatory standards while upholding the highest levels of quality, purity, and integrity 

Qualifications

• 10 years of experience in innovation, R&D, or product strategy within nutraceuticals, botanicals, or natural health products
• Demonstrated success building and leading innovation pipelines that deliver both breakthrough and commercial results
• Deep expertise in herbal extraction, phytochemistry, formulation science, and ingredient functionality
• Strong understanding of emerging wellness trends and the ability to translate them into commercially viable products
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence at the executive level
• Experience building external partnerships and leveraging open innovation models
• Strategic mindset paired with a hands-on, execution-driven approach
• Passion for advancing plant-based wellness through both traditional knowledge and modern science 

Opportunity

This is a rare opportunity to define the future of a respected botanical brand - evolving it from a heritage leader into a next-generation innovator in modern wellness.

The ideal candidate will bring both vision and velocity, with the ability to imagine