Hendler Family Brewing Company is looking for an Innovation Program Manager to join our team. Working closely with leadership, production, and commercial teams, the Innovation Program Manager supports the development and refinement of products and processes across our multi-brand craft beverage company, including beer and non-beer beverages. This highly cross-functional position bridges creative development, technical brewing and beverage knowledge, and experience in practical production realities. It requires a blend of strategic thinking, technical expertise and project management skills.

The Innovation Program Manager will work closely with a wide variety of stakeholders throughout the life cycle of each product. Success in this role requires strong technical judgment, disciplined project coordination, and a collaborative, hands-on approach to turning new ideas into well-executed, scalable offerings that reflect both our craft standards and business goals. This is a new position.

Essential Duties

Technical Innovation and R&D

Translate creative concepts into scalable, production-ready processes
Oversee production of pilot batches on a dedicated innovation brewhouse
Lead the creation and refinement of products across beer, RTDs, and alternative beverage formats
Identify opportunities for process optimization, quality improvement, and efficiency gains across brewing, cellar, and packaging operations
Provide technical expertise on formulation, ingredient selection, supplier evaluation, and process design
Ensure innovations are practical, repeatable, and scalable
Support regulatory awareness and compliance considerations for new beverage categories and ingredients
Partner with internal and external stakeholders to ensure readiness for commercialization
Consult in equipment purchases or repurposing of existing equipment or facilities

Collaboration & Project Management

Act as a key liaison between executive leadership, marketing/sales, and production
Balance a high volume of concurrent projects with varying priorities and levels of complexity
Maintain clear documentation, workflows, and handoff procedures
Champion and strengthen our culture of continuous improvement
Foster a collaborative environment while setting clear priorities and managing time effectively in response to company needs

Job Requirements

5+ years of experience in craft beverage innovation, R&D, or related technical roles (experience in process improvement, QA/QC, or food science is a plus)
Strong technical knowledge of brewing and non-beer beverage production processes, ingredients, and quality systems
Proven ability to manage complex, overlapping projects
Hands-on experience with pilot systems, test brewing, or scaled experimentation
Ability to work effectively with both executive leadership and production teams
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail

Physical Requirements And Work Environment

Ability to work in frequently loud environments
Ability/knowledge to safely work with chemicals present in the brewery
Conditions can run from wet, hot and cold conditions, depending on season

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Innovation Program Manager - Hendler Family Brewing Company