Innovation Operations Manager at Bioptimizers · LumiJobs

Responsibilities

We are seeking an experienced Innovation Operations Manager to lead the exploration and evaluation of new product and business opportunities that extend beyond our core competency of creating and commercializing capsule and powder dietary supplements across categories such as minerals, digestion, and more. This role will also manage the operations aspect of all new products, allowing us to get the products to commercialization stage.
This is a highly cross-functional role for a natural investigator and organizer—someone who can take an early-stage innovation concept, dig into its technical and commercial feasibility, engage the right internal and external partners, and provide stakeholders with clear, evidence-based recommendations on whether a concept can be successfully commercialized and made profitable, or whether it should be shelved.
If you thrive on ambiguity, love connecting the dots between science, operations, and market opportunity, and can drive structured decision-making, we'd love to hear from you.
This role exists specifically to handle novel, high-ambiguity concepts — the ideas that fall outside what we already know how to make. Just as important as finding the winners is closing out the losers. We are looking for someone who reaches a defensible answer quickly and is comfortable recommending that we stop. A fast, well-evidenced “no” is a successful outcome in this role, not a failure — concepts that sit in permanent exploration are the specific problem this role is being created to solve.
Research & Investigate: Identify, research, and investigate new innovation ideas and concepts to assess their technical and commercial feasibility, including opportunities outside our existing product formats and categories.
Collaborate with R&D & Formulators: Work closely with our formulators and R&D teams to deeply understand each innovation concept, its scientific underpinnings, and its technical requirements and constraints.
Conduct Feasibility Analyses: Design and execute structured feasibility analyses covering technical viability, manufacturability, cost, regulatory considerations, timelines, and commercial potential.
Source & Manage External Partners: Identify, vet, and manage relationships with external parties—such as vendors, contract manufacturers, labs, consultants, and specialists—to fill capability gaps and validate concepts. Prepare RFQs and manage the quote and aware process with contract manufacturers.
Enable Decision-Making: Synthesize findings into clear business cases and recommendations that help stakeholders determine whether a concept can be commercialized profitably or should be deemed unviable.
Manage Projects End-to-End: Own project plans, timelines, budgets, milestones, and stakeholder communications across multiple concurrent innovation initiatives. This is a hands-on, in-the-weeds role with no supporting staff — you will personally do the research, build the models, chase the vendors, and run the trials.
Report & Communicate: Present findings, risks, and recommendations to leadership and cross-functional stakeholders in a clear, actionable format.
Own the Innovation Intake Queue: Serve as the single point of entry for concepts from any source — founders, leadership, R&D, or the field. Log every idea, run a fast initial screen, and work with leadership to maintain a ranked, capacity-bound queue with an agreed limit on how many concepts are under active investigation at once.

Qualification

Experience in the dietary supplementStrong communication skillsStrong analytical skillsA track record of finishingWhat Success Looks LikeWithin your first yearConcretelyA documented intake

Required

Minimum 7 years of demonstrated success as a project manager, ideally with exposure to product development, innovation, or new-category exploration.
Experience in the dietary supplement, nutraceutical, food & beverage, CPG, or pharmaceutical industries.
Extensive experience with R&D/formulation processes, manufacturing technical capabilities, and regulatory frameworks (e.g., FDA/DSHEA/cGMP).
Strong background in ingredients and their technical use in dietary supplements.
Hands-on experience with novel delivery formats — liposomal or encapsulation technologies, softgels, gummies or jellies, sprays, sachets, or functional beverages.
Superb organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to translate technical concepts for diverse audiences and influence stakeholders.
Strong analytical skills, with the ability to structure feasibility assessments, evaluate data, and build sound business cases.
Fluency in project management systems/tools (e.g., Asana, Monday.com, Smartsheet, MS Project, Jira, or similar).
Comfort operating in ambiguity and driving clarity in early-stage, undefined projects.
A track record of finishing, not just exploring: at least one novel or first-of-its-kind product, format, or process personally taken from early concept through commercial launch.
The judgment and backbone to recommend “no”: comfort delivering and defending unfavorable recommendations to senior stakeholders, including founders and executives who are personally invested in an idea.

Preferred

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (business, science, engineering, or related); PMP or equivalent certification a plus.
Experience commercializing an ingredient or raw material B2B: specification development, GRAS/NDI dossiers, tox and safety packages, and ingredient customer support.
Experience working outside of ingestibles — consumer hardware, devices, or wellness equipment — including sourcing, certification, and safety testing.
Experience operating a formal stage-gate or phase-gate innovation process.
What Success Looks Like
Within your first year, you will have established a repeatable feasibility-evaluation process, built a network of trusted external partners, and delivered clear go/no-go recommendations that give leadership confidence in where to invest—and where not to.
Concretely, within the first 12 months we would expect:
A documented intake, prioritization, and stage-gate process in active use, with a live queue visible to leadership.

Innovation Operations Manager

Responsibilities

Qualification

Required

Preferred

Company

Bioptimizers

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