Head of Product at Bosque Foods

Company Description:

At Bosque Foods, our vision is to accelerate the world’s transition to an environmentally sustainable, equitable, and animal-free food system.

Our mission is to create the next generation of meat alternatives, starting with whole-cut meat products grown naturally from fungal mycelium. We aim to create better-than-meat products that deliver on the entire taste experience, nutrition, and price of traditional meat without compromise.

Founded in 2020, Bosque Foods is the first European fungi-based meat alternative company focusing entirely on the whole-cut meat segment. After graduating from the world’s leading biotech accelerator program, IndieBio in New York City, we are now running our lab in Berlin, Germany.

Job Description:

We are looking for an experienced and mission-aligned scientist to join Bosque Foods as Head of Product.

In this key leadership role, you will be instrumental in shaping the strategic direction of our product portfolio, driving innovation, and delivering exceptional food solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. We are looking for someone with a proven track record in leading new food product development, in particular with experience in meat or seafood alternatives (bonus points if mycelium-based!).

You should be a leader who can inspire, generate ideas, manage a team, and drive our novel products forward.

You would be joining a very ambitious, hard-working, and mission-driven team that likes to have fun while developing something game-changing. Today, we are pushing to accelerate the speed of our product development. We are now looking for someone who can thrive in this demanding startup environment, work well under pressure, and is willing to put in the time and energy to bring our products to the next level!

Role & Responsibilities:

• Lead applied research projects to develop new, delicious, and nutritious fungi-based whole-cut meat alternatives.

• Lead a team of food technologists and process engineers.

• Develop and execute the product strategy in alignment with the company's overall objectives. Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to track product performance, market share, and customer satisfaction.

• Lead the product development process from idea to mass-scale applications and commercialization, ensuring timely delivery and quality standards.

• Work in close relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

• Manage the product life cycle, including pricing strategies, SKU rationalization, and product portfolio optimization.

• Conduct market research, analyze consumer trends, and gather insights to identify new product opportunities and improve existing offerings.

• Proactively collaborate cross-functionally and manage multiple projects that adhere to fast timelines.

Must-Have:

• Masters / PhD in Food Chemistry, Food Biotechnology, Food Science, Food Process Engineering or related branches

• +5 years of experience in food product development or product management, ideally with min. 4 years experience in managing cross-functional teams

• Strong technical competency (texture optimization, flavor reaction chemistry, sensory analysis, food regulations) along with experience in scaling up and successfully launching products in different markets

• Excellent understanding of product development processes, including concept ideation, formulation, packaging, and commercialization

• Strong analytical, strategic planning, and decision-making abilities

• Creative and collaborative problem solver

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively collaborate with internal and external stakeholders

• Growth mindset: Self-starter with the capacity to thrive in a fast-paced and challenging startup environment, doing what needs to be done for the business regardless of your title

• English language skills required

Great-to-Have:

• Experience in US, EU, and APAC Food & Safety regulatory systems

• Experience in converting filamentous fungi into meat-alternatives

• Experience in developing off-flavor remediation technology

• Opportunity to join a dynamic and diverse mission-driven team with sky-high ambitions to build the future of food!

• Chance to shape and co-create scientific strategy at an early-stage

• Work in our brand new lab in the center of Berlin within walking distance of tons of cafes, restaurants, bars and parks

• Flexible work culture, encouraging remote work when possible

• Last but not least, employee discount for Urban Sports Club membership and regular team events