Director of R&D

Apothkary R&D Director

Welcome to Apothkary, where Nature is Medicine. We harness the intelligence of nature by creating clean, effective herbal remedies that target the root cause of health imbalances like helping to ease stress, support the gut, strengthen immunity, boost energy, and sharpen mental focus. Our herbal formulas feature traditional herbs from several medicinal modalities including Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Japanese Kampo, and Western herbalism. We believe in getting to the root cause of health issues and herbs can be a great place to start your journey and promote wellness for the long-term.

We were founded in early 2019 by Shizu Okusa, a serial entrepreneur in the wellness industry and named E&Y's Entrepreneur of the Year 2021. After leaving an intense finance career, she became inspired to live a more balanced lifestyle and revisit her Japanese roots and passion for herbal medicine. Shizu set out to help others regain their holistic health using traditions she grew up with and ones she learned along the way.

Why Work With Us?

• You will get the chance to be an early team member at a fast-growth health & wellness startup disrupting the intersection of food and medicine preventative healthcare rooted in herbal medicine.
• We are growing fast (100x growth in two years, over $16M in capital raised, and quadrupled the size of the team).
• We're a tight-knit, passionate team, where you'll learn a ton and have ownership over your responsibilities.
• Work with a seasoned second-time founder and executive team.

The Role :

We are seeking a visionary Director of R&D with extensive expertise in herbal medicine to provide strategic leadership for our product innovation pipeline and regulatory compliance framework. This executive-level position will develop and execute our long-term R&D strategy, oversee all aspects of product development, and establish comprehensive regulatory systems that enable sustainable growth.

Reporting directly to the Head of Operations & New Product Development, this role serves as a key member of the leadership team and will guide critical decisions that impact product strategy, supply chain management, and regulatory positioning. The ideal candidate will combine deep scientific knowledge with business acumen and regulatory expertise to navigate complex industry landscapes while maintaining our unwavering commitment to quality and efficacy.

Responsibilities :

Strategic Leadership & Innovation :

R&D and Product Development Leadership :

Manufacturing & Supply Chain Excellence :

Regulatory Leadership & Compliance :

Cross-Functional Executive Leadership :