R&D foods scientists in Birkenhead

Chalice Supplements is a privately owned, family business laser-focused on one thing: gummies. We believe gummy delivery is the future of the supplements industry — the fastest-growing format in the market and the one with the greatest potential to make health products people actually want to take. That conviction sits at the heart of everything we do.

We have recently made a significant investment in that future — substantially expanding our factory, production capacity, and output to establish ourselves as a leading gummy contract manufacturer in the UK. This is a business with serious ambition, real momentum, and a clear direction of travel.

But beyond the science and the scale, we are driven by something more meaningful: the belief that well-formulated, efficacious supplements can genuinely improve people's lives. Every product that leaves our facility has the potential to help someone sleep better, manage stress, navigate menopause, support their mood, or address a health challenge that has been quietly affecting their quality of life. That is not something we take lightly — and neither should you.

This is a fully on-site, hands-on senior role based at our production facility in L36, Liverpool. You will be on the factory floor, in the lab, and at the heart of our manufacturing operation — not behind a desk all day. This is not a remote or hybrid position; we need someone present, engaged, and embedded in the day-to-day reality of gummy production.

As our primary technical lead on gummy formulation and product development, you will own projects from concept through to commercial launch. You will work directly and closely with our CEO, as well as our operations, quality, and commercial teams, playing a central role in shaping how we develop and scale products across our client base.

We are looking for someone who brings exceptional technical ability and is equally driven by purpose. Someone who genuinely cares about the end consumer — who is as motivated by the person taking the product as they are by the formulation itself. Someone who gets a genuine thrill seeing a product they formulated on the shelf at Boots or Holland & Barrett, or in a TV advert reaching millions of people. If you want your work to matter at scale, and you believe that great science can change lives, this role was built for you.

• FORMULATION & TEXTURE DEVELOPMENT
  • Lead end-to-end formulation development for gummy products across active ingredient categories including vitamins, minerals, adaptogens, and functional blends.
  • Systematically adapt ingredient ratios — gelling agents, humectants, sugars, polyols, and co-solvents — to engineer distinct gummy textures including firm, soft, chewy, and jellied profiles.
  • Work across pectin, starch, and alternative plant-based gelling systems to understand how each interacts with active ingredients, pH, and processing conditions to influence final texture.
  • Develop and document formulation matrices that map ingredient variables to sensory and physical outcomes, building institutional knowledge around what levers drive texture change.
  • Manage ingredient compatibility, dosage levels, and regulatory constraints across a broad formulation portfolio.
• CURING & PROCESS CONDITIONS
  • Design and run structured curing trials to determine optimal temperature, humidity, airflow, and time conditions for each gummy formulation.
  • Investigate how variations in curing parameters influence texture development, moisture loss, surface finish, and long-term stability.
  • Establish curing protocols for new products and document critical process parameters to enable consistent reproduction at scale.
  • Work with production teams to translate lab and pilot curing conditions into commercially viable manufacturing processes.
• SHELF LIFE & STABILITY
  • Design and execute shelf life studies (real-time and accelerated) across product lines, with particular attention to how texture evolves over time.
  • Interpret and act on stability data to refine formulations and packaging specifications — including moisture barrier requirements.
  • Build robust stability protocols that support regulatory submissions and customer product claims.
  • Maintain deep working knowledge of water activity, hygroscopicity, and moisture migration in confectionery systems and how they drive textural degradation.
• MANUFACTURING SCALE-UP & PROCESS OPTIMISATION
  • Translate bench and pilot formulations into scalable manufacturing processes on commercial gummy lines.
  • Collaborate closely with production teams to troubleshoot process variability and optimise yields.
  • Define critical control points and in-process parameters for new product launches.
  • Drive continuous improvement of existing product formulations from a cost, quality, and process efficiency standpoint.
• HEALTH INNOVATION & CONSUMER IMPACT
  • Develop formulations targeting specific health outcomes — including sleep, stress and anxiety, women's health and menopause, energy, immunity, and cognitive performance.
  • Stay current with clinical research, emerging ingredients, and consumer health trends to identify where new product innovation can have the greatest impact.
  • Champion the consumer internally — ensuring efficacy, bioavailability, and active delivery are never compromised in pursuit of cost or speed.
  • Bring proactive ideas for new product concepts based on emerging health needs, novel ingredients, or unmet gaps in the current market.
  • Approach every brief with genuine enthusiasm — treating each formulation as an opportunity to create something that makes a meaningful difference in someone's life.
• TECHNICAL & CROSS-FUNCTIONAL LEADERSHIP
  • Act as the internal technical authority on gummy technology, food science, and ingredient functionality.
  • Partner with commercial and client-facing teams to translate briefs into technically viable product concepts.
  • Provide technical input into raw material sourcing decisions and supplier evaluation.
  • Support documentation requirements including specifications, SOPs, and technical dossiers.

• ESSENTIAL
  • PhD in Food Science, Food Technology, Nutrition, Chemistry, or a closely related discipline — or equivalent demonstrable expertise at senior level.
  • Proven track record in food or supplement product development, with hands-on formulation experience.
  • Deep technical understanding of gummy or confectionery systems (gelling agents, humectants, active stabilisation).
  • Strong experience designing and interpreting shelf life and accelerated stability studies.
  • Ability to operate across bench-scale development and commercial manufacturing environments.
  • Exceptional analytical rigour, attention to detail, and scientific problem-solving ability.
  • Clear communicator — able to translate complex technical information for non-technical stakeholders.
  • Genuine passion for health, wellness, and the potential of well-formulated supplements to improve people's lives — this is not just a job, it is a mission.
  • The kind of person who gets a real buzz seeing a product they formulated on a supermarket shelf, in a TV advert, or in the hands of a customer — and who uses that as fuel to make the next one even better.
• HIGHLY DESIRABLE
  • Experience in a contract manufacturing or multi-client product development environment.
  • Familiarity with UK and EU food supplement regulatory frameworks (FSA, EFSA).
  • Knowledge of health categories such as sleep, stress, menopause, or cognitive performance and the evidence base behind key actives.
  • Knowledge of clean-label, vegan, or free-from formulation challenges.
  • Experience with gummy-specific manufacturing equipment and process parameters.
  • Publication record or demonstrable contribution to applied food or nutritional science.
  • Proficient in the use of laboratory testing equipment and analytical techniques — including HPLC, rheometry, texture analysis, water activity measurement, and related instrumentation used in food and supplement quality assessment.

• A senior, hands-on role with real ownership across the gummy product development function.
• Competitive base salary commensurate with experience, with a performance bonus structure built around mutually agreed targets — your effort and results will be recognised and rewarded accordingly.
• Direct access to and a close working relationship with the CEO — your voice will be heard and your contributions will matter.
• A fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment where decisions are made quickly and great work is celebrated.
• Participation in our Employee Ownership Scheme — as we scale, we believe the people who help build this business should share in what it becomes. A meaningful equity stake in Chalice will be allocated to the team that helps us reach our long-term ambitions. This is a genuine opportunity to build something, and to be rewarded not just for your time, but for your contribution to the journey.

To apply or learn more, please contact us directly. Chalice Supplements is an equal opportunities employer.