Overview

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 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 guideline