Director, Product & Process Engineering

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October 15

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Unreal Snacks

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B2C • Food & Beverage • Retail

Unreal Snacks is a company that specializes in creating chocolate snacks made with 100% real ingredients, offering treats like peanut butter cups with significantly less sugar and no artificial additives. The brand emphasizes responsible indulgence with its products being vegan and made from simple, natural ingredients, catering to health-conscious consumers seeking a healthier alternative to traditional sweets.

11 - 50 employees

Founded 2010

👥 B2C

🛒 Retail

💰 $4.7M Venture Round on 2013-11

📋 Description

• Bridge internal and external relationships while driving excellence in product manufacturing and experience, taking a people- and product-centric approach to leading company growth. • Manage product commercialization by supporting early feasibility analysis through capital/technology/equipment analysis, scale-up, and commercialization, with a focus on optimizing existing core SKUs and supporting commercialization of new innovation projects. • Bridge the handoff from Product R&D and industrial trials to full-on commercial production, with a detailed handoff of all technical support between Product R&D and Operations team as well as with manufacturing partners to support consistent everyday production. • Lead documentation and record keeping efforts across all process parameters, defining troubleshooting guides and creating product manuals that ensure a successful transition from industrial trials to everyday production. • Apply expertise with manufacturing partners, vendors, suppliers, and equipment companies to optimize existing manufacturing processes and ensure Unreal is operating as best-in-class for product quality, cost, scale, throughputs and efficiencies. Analyze opportunities for cost savings, scrap reduction, and product experience improvements, and evolve products and processes where possible. • Partner with Operations team to continuously evaluate and optimize manufacturing processes to meet increasing capacity requirements and deliver on technical specifications. • Manufacture to Unreal standards by collaborating directly with the Founder to absorb institutional product knowledge and ensure alignment with Unreal’s historical standards and strategic objectives in all project executions. Make every bite matter, while improving operational and cost excellence. • Travel as required to manufacturing sites and partners to oversee trials, support scale-up, and ensure technical feasibility of new partners, new formulas, and new suppliers.

🎯 Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Food Science, Engineering, or other related Food Technologies. • 10+ years of experience in CPG manufacturing and engineering, with a minimum of 5 years focused in the confectionery chocolate and/or baking category or bar manufacturing. • Prior experience leading process engineering and management at a manufacturing facility, with a robust understanding of co-man operations, including pricing, management of external relationships, and the needs specific to each co-man. • Advanced knowledge of product development and manufacturing technologies, including confectionery gems, bars, enrobing, frozen cone, and molded chocolate formats. • Strong passion for mission-driven brands committed to creating better-for-you products that make a positive impact on the world. • Proven track record of leading and delivering complex, high-impact projects from brief to commercialization, ensuring timely execution and effective cross-functional collaboration. • You are obsessed with product integrity and experience, most likely because you have a personal passion and commitment as a better-for-you consumer yourself • Hands-on problem solver with expert level confidence working directly with co-manufacturers on the production floor. • High EQ with exceptional relationship-building skills to manage, maintain, and evolve key co-manufacturer partnerships. • Confident in leading sourcing and documentation efforts, with the professional maturity to know when to delegate or involve other team members. • Strong communicator with disciplined follow-through and demonstrated ability to drive alignment, accountability, and momentum across senior level teams. • Experience in high-growth, entrepreneurial environments is strongly preferred; exposure to founder-led organizations is a plus. • You hold very high standards for yourself, expecting excellence in not only what you deliver, but how you deliver it as well.

🏖️ Benefits

• Competitive salary and bonus • Unlimited PTO & all federal holidays off • Health, Dental, and Vision insurance - employee premiums are 100% covered, dependent premiums covered at 60% • Health Reimbursement Account • 401(k) with company match (eligible to participate after 6 months from hire) • Up to 18 weeks Paid Parental Leave • Paid Caregiver, Medical, & Bereavement Leave • Tuition Reimbursement & Professional Development Stipend • Wellness Stipend • Monthly Home Office Stipend • Coworking Stipend for remote employees • Donation Matching Program • Paid Volunteer Days • Unlimited chocolate • Great teammates and team culture - including department & team events • Exposure to exciting opportunities at a rapidly growing brand!