The Ninja Test Kitchen is seeking a manager to lead and elevate the food-first perspective across our product development process. In this role, you will own the strategy, execution, and quality of innovation insights for NTK initiatives— driving new product development from early-stage exploration through launch. You will partner closely with cross-functional leaders across Engineering, Design, PMO, Consumer Insights and Marketing to bring innovative, consumer-validated products to market and help define what Ninja stands for in the kitchen. 

WHAT YOU’LL OWN 

Define performance standards across all stages of development — own the testing roadmap, build KPIs for product performance, and ensure consumer value is at the center of every product decision, establish targets that guide product development. 

Drive competitive and exploratory research — oversee testing of competitive products and emerging innovations to inform category strategy and roadmap prioritization, identify gaps and opportunities. 

Own the validation process — define testing protocols and parameters, turn performance results into clear defensible claims, and ensure product standards are consistently met. 

Partner with cross-functional leadership — serve as the food science and culinary authority in product development discussions, bringing a rigorous, consumer-centric point of view to engineering, design, and go-to-market conversations. 

Develop and manage preset programs and function recipe requirements — ensuring product performance aligns with both brand standards and consumer expectations. 

Lead and develop a team — manage food scientists, research chefs, and recipe developers, building a high-performing team with strong technical rigor and creative problem-solving skills. 

Tie product performance and consumer benefits to recipe development and story. 

Manage data integrity and reporting — ensure all testing results are meticulously documented, organized, and communicated to key stakeholders in a timely manner. 

Cultivate an external expert network — build relationships with industry leaders, taste and texture specialists, and consumer insight partners to continuously elevate the quality of our work. 

Monitor industry trends — stay ahead of food science, culinary, and consumer trends and bring actionable insights to the team on an ongoing basis. 

This is an ONSITE role based in our Needham, MA Headquarters. 

QUALIFICATIONS 

6+ years of progressive experience in food science, culinology, or a related field — preferably within a consumer goods or product-driven company. 

Degree from an accredited Food Science, Food Engineering, or Culinology program; advanced degree a plus. 

Proven track record of leading cross-functional R&D initiatives from concept through commercialization. 

Experience managing or mentoring team members in a fast-paced, iterative environment. 

Strong technical foundation in sensory evaluation, food chemistry, and product performance testing — comfortable with texture analyzers, thermometers, data acquisition tools, and related instrumentation. 

Exceptional communication skills — able to translate complex food science concepts for non-technical audiences and present confidently to executive leadership. 

Strong project management skills — ability to prioritize across multiple workstreams, manage timelines, and hold teams accountable to milestones. 

A strategic mindset — comfortable with ambiguity, capable of operating with autonomy, and able to connect day-to-day decisions to long-term category goals.