R&D Project Manager- Bars & Snacks (m/f/d)

What makes people reach for a snack again and again? The perfect texture, an unexpected flavor, strong nutritional values—or a combination of all three? At IronMaxx, you will help shape the next generation of our Bars & Snacks portfolio. You will turn consumer needs, market trends, and new product ideas into products that deliver on taste and stand out in the market.

From the initial idea through to the final launch, you will take ownership of the entire product development process and work closely with manufacturers, suppliers, and our Quality, Purchasing, Marketing, and Sales teams. You will combine technical product expertise with creativity and commercial thinking to develop innovative, functional, and commercially attractive products.

Whether you are developing a new protein bar, optimizing the texture of an existing snack, or identifying the next relevant ingredient trend, your work will have a direct impact on the future of our portfolio.

Ready to turn great ideas into products people love? Then #BEcomeMAXX.

Product Development

• Develop innovative protein bars, functional snacks, bites, cookies, wafers, and related product concepts—from the initial idea through to market launch.
• Independently manage development projects, including concept development, formulation, sampling, costing, validation, and commercialization.
• Translate consumer needs and product briefs into technically feasible and commercially attractive products.
• Optimize existing products in terms of taste, texture, nutritional profile, ingredients, packaging, shelf life, and costs.
• Plan and evaluate tastings, product samples, production trials, and optimization cycles.
• Critically assess prototypes and actively manage external development partners through to final product quality.

Trends, Innovation & Portfolio

• Identify relevant consumer, flavor, ingredient, nutrition, and packaging trends.
• Conduct market, category, and competitor analyses to identify new product opportunities.
• Translate trends and insights into concrete innovation and product concepts.
• Continuously develop the Bars & Snacks portfolio with a focus on optimization, differentiation, and growth.
• Actively contribute to the innovation pipeline and the future development of the category.

Supplier & Project Management

• Manage external partners.
• Act as the central interface between suppliers and internal teams across Quality, Purchasing, Marketing, and Sales.
• Coordinate timelines, samples, documentation, costs, and decision-making processes across multiple development projects.
• Manage price requests, product costing, and commercial evaluations in close collaboration with Purchasing.
• Participate in supplier meetings, production trials, and relevant trade fairs.
• Build and further develop high-performing supplier partnerships with regard to quality, innovation, speed, and cost efficiency.

Regulatory & Quality

• Review formulations, ingredients, nutritional information, claims, declarations, and packaging copy.
• Ensure compliance with the EU Food Information to Consumers Regulation (FIC / LMIV) and relevant European food-law requirements.
• Maintain product specifications, master data, and development documentation.
• Work closely with Quality to ensure product safety, quality, and regulatory compliance.
• Support root-cause analyses, reformulations, and continuous product improvements.

• Degree or comparable qualification in Food Technology, Food Science, Nutritional Sciences, Nutrition and Home Economics, or a related field.
• Relevant professional experience in product development or R&D within the food industry; experience with bars, snacks, functional foods, confectionery, or sports nutrition is an advantage.
• Strong understanding of ingredients, formulations, sensory characteristics, production processes, and product costing.
• Experience with product sampling, sensory evaluations, production trials, and product optimization.
• Good knowledge of the EU Food Information to Consumers Regulation (FIC / LMIV) and relevant European food-law requirements.
• Confident in working with product costing, target costs, and commercial evaluations.
• Fluent English; German language skills are an advantage.
• Willingness to travel for supplier meetings, production trials, and industry events.