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Job description
SSwisher stands at the forefront of innovation in the consumer products industry, blending a legacy of excellence with a forward-thinking approach. Established in 1861, the family-owned company has evolved into a trailblazer, renowned for its iconic Swisher Sweets cigars, cutting-edge American-made Rogue and Ammo modern oral nicotine products, and the premium Drew Estate cigar collection, which features ACID, Liga Privada, and Undercrown. Poised for the future, Swisher is redefining traditional categories with Volt+Co -home to groundbreaking products such as Mojo Energy Pouches. Swisher is also home to more than two dozen American-made, non-combustible tobacco brands under the Helme Tobacco Co. umbrella. Based in Jacksonville, Florida, with operations spanning the U.S., the Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua, Swisher continues to lead through innovation, setting new benchmarks in quality and creativity. Learn more at swisher.com.
The VP, Technical oversees the R&D and Quality functions whose activities include the commercialization of new products, product reformulation, packaging development, cost optimization/value engineering, quality and product safety, and the associated regulatory and lab activities across a portfolio of brands within Tobacco, Nicotine, Caffeine, and Drinks. The VP, Technical will work in partnership with Marketing, Supply Chain, Operations, Engineering, Compliance, and Commercial teams for building and executing the innovation pipeline, advancing technical and quality capabilities, and driving operational excellence in partnership.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Vision
Set and execute the enterprise technical strategy across R&D, product development, process development, and quality, aligned to growth priorities, product integrity expectations, and commercialization readiness
Ensure prioritization, resource allocation, and trade-off decisions are timely and documented
Build a capability roadmap across talent, vendor partners, laboratory and testing strategy, quality systems, tools, and infrastructure with phased investment recommendations
Oversee IP and knowledge management approach for development programs and external collaborations
Innovation & Technical Excellence
Oversee end-to-end development from requirements through commercialization readiness, technical transfer, validation, product release, and ongoing quality performance, ensuring manufacturability, quality-system alignment, and consumer performance outcomes
Direct external partner strategy (suppliers, contract developers, academic/technology partners) to accelerate capability build while maintaining technical control
Champion data-driven development and quality methods, including evidence-based decision making, robust specifications, testing protocols, and documentation discipline across pipelines
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Serve as the senior technical leader in cross-functional governance with Marketing, Operations/Supply Chain, Engineering, QA/QC, New Product Compliance, and Legal
Translate market requirements into technical programs with clear milestones and handoff expectations to Manufacturing and QA/QC
Partner with Engineering on CAPEX implications and with Operations on scale-up readiness and transfer execution, ensuring accountability is clear across functions
Establish an escalation and issue-resolution mechanism for development and commercialization blockers
Team Leadership & Development
Lead, develop, and inspire a diverse technical organization, including Product, Packaging, and Process Development Managers, Quality leaders, QA/QC managers, laboratory teams, and technical specialists
Create a culture of innovation, collaboration, accountability, quality ownership, and continuous learning within the technical organization
Drive capability building in consumer understanding, product design, process engineering, quality systems, laboratory practices, technical documentation, and project leadership within the regulatory guidelines
Governance & Compliance
Provide executive leadership for Quality Assurance, Quality Control, product release standards, quality management systems, and audit readiness across applicable product categories and manufacturing environments
Establish and maintain specifications, testing protocols, documentation standards, change controls, and technical risk assessments to support compliant, consistent, and scalable product execution
Lead quality issue escalation, root cause analysis, corrective and preventive actions, supplier quality partnership, and continuous improvement of quality metrics
Partner with Compliance, Legal, Operations, and Engineering to ensure technical decisions support regulatory expectations, product integrity, and manufacturing controls
Qualifications
Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, Food Science, or related technical field
12+ years of progressive technical leadership experience in R&D, product development, process development, quality, or related functions within consumer-packaged goods, food, personal care, tobacco/nicotine, beverage, or other regulated product environments
7+ years of direct supervisory experience leading managers, senior scientists, engineers, quality leaders, laboratory teams, or multi-disciplinary technical teams
Demonstrated success standing up or transforming a technical organization, including R&D/Product Development, quality systems, portfolio governance, and external partner strategy
Strong command of formulation/product development and process development/scale-up concepts, with the ability to bridge product intent to production reality
Experience leading or partnering deeply with Quality Assurance, Quality Control, quality management systems, audits, CAPA/root cause processes, technical documentation, and evidence-based decision environments
Executive-level influencing skills with proven ability to align Marketing, Operations, Engineering, QA/QC, Compliance, Legal, and Commercial teams around technical readiness, quality, and product integrity decisions
Experience in working within FDA and Dietary Supplement guidelines
Track record of building high-performing teams and delivering measurable pipeline outcomes
Travel: 15-20%
What We Offer
Base salary and bonus program
Medical, dental, vision, life insurance effective on date of hire
Generous 401(k) Plan
Defined Contribution Plan
Paid vacation and paid holidays
Tuition reimbursement
Official Contact Information
Email: All official emails will come from an @Swisher.com address
Website: Verify job listings and contact details on
Important: We will never contact you via Teams, Zoom, or Google Meets. If you qualify for an interview the proper meeting method will be shared with you beforehand. Confidential information should only be shared through secure methods outside of email.
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Worksite address
jacksonville, FL, 32290, US
Who can apply
Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.