Product Research & Development Manager

It's fun to work in a company where people truly believe in what they are doing. At Dutch Bros Coffee, we are more than just a coffee company. We are a fun-loving, mind-blowing company that makes a difference one cup at a time. 

Position Overview:

The Product Research & Development Manager is responsible for overseeing the research and development of all shop level consumable products and associated tools, and vendor qualification and setup. These projects will include (but are not limited to): developing products to support national marketing campaigns, products to support supply chain redundancy, products to support equipment innovation and products to increase operational efficiency. They will ensure that all managed projects are conducted according to brand standards and/or Dutch Bros specifications.  This position is expected to foster a strong, supportive and responsive relationship with key leaders within cross-functional departments.

Job Qualifications:

• 3-5 years of experience in product development (preferably in food or beverage), required

• 2 years of project management experience, required

• BA/BS in a related field, or 4 additional years experience, required

• Experience in research and trend tracking preferred

• Experience in marketing or closely working with marketing preferred

• Proven experience in 3rd party vendor management

• Must be willing to travel up to 25% of the time

Location Requirement: 

• This position is located in Phoenix, AZ, and is required to be in office 4 days a week

Key Result Areas (KRAs):

Ensure product campaign and product drops are supported in a timely manner and all key stakeholders are communicated with:

• Create, coordinate, and manage all R&D product projects and expenses according to company procedures, keep stakeholders apprised of status with corresponding documentation in a timely manner. 

• Research and secure product samples to support campaign and product drop needs.

• Partner with Procurement to qualify new vendors to support campaign and product drop needs. 

• Delivers technical product specifications sheets, whether they are third party or proprietary Dutch Bros items. These spec sheets should be updated and accessible for broad use

• Act as the liaison between R&D, our vendors, Brand/Innovation, Supply Chain, Procurement, Legal, Finance, and Field Services, providing support and technical expertise to coordinate projects and resolve issues in a timely and cost-effective manner. 

• Communicate proactively with all stakeholders and ensure they are fully informed of their role in supporting the work, how it might impact operations, and provide alternative solutions when necessary.

Manage all new ingredient onboarding and recipe builds:

• Upon onboarding new products or ingredients, providing proper specifications to key cross functional leaders including but not limited to the Food Safety Manager, Legal, Procurement and Supply Chain. 

• Partner with the Food Safety Manager and Field Services team to create proper ingredient storage and handling. 

• Partner with R&D Equipment Manager to test and validate equipment needed for new products.

• Acquire and organize new ingredient nutrition. 

• Assist on establishing and upholding ingredient and recipe guidelines and guardrails.

Support vendor onboarding/management and continued product improvement strategy:

• Work collaboratively with vendors and our legal team to execute contracts with suppliers, ensuring there are protections for any proprietary products and/or information. 

• Create product summaries outlining objectives, relevance, current state and problem/opportunity for each initiative. 

• Stay current with current vendor’s new offerings, test new products in a timely manner and give constructive feedback when needed. 

• Keep current with product trends and innovations through vendor education, conferences and independent research

• Partner with the supply chain and procurement team to validate that products align with current distribution specifications.

Skills:

• Product Development 

• Project Management

• Product Commercialization

• Product Testing 

• Ingredient Nutrition

• Computer Literacy 

• Proficiency in Microsoft Suite and Google Suite

• Contracts

• Vendor Management and Set Up 

• Collaboration

• Strong Written and Verbal Communication

Physical Requirements:

• Occasional lifting up to ten pounds

• Must be able to work in a climate-controlled office environment 

• Vision must be good, or corrected to normal, to perform normal job duties

• Hearing must be good, or corrected to normal, to have the ability to understand information to perform job duties

• Ability to read and write in English in order to process paperwork and follow up on any actions necessary

• Sitting for extended periods of time

• Manual dexterity needed for keyboarding and other repetitive tasks

Compensation:

$102,528.70 - DOE

If you like wild growth and working in a unique and fun environment, surrounded by positive community, you'll enjoy your career with us!