Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership:

o Define and lead the R&D strategy for the Ready-to-Eat product category in line with company goals.

o Drive innovation by identifying new trends, ingredients, and technologies in the RTE space.

• Product Development:

o Oversee end-to-end development of RTE products—from ideation and bench-top formulation to

pilot and full-scale production.

o Ensure products meet desired sensory profiles, nutritional requirements, shelf-life targets, cost

constraints, and regulatory standards.

• Team Management:

o Lead, mentor, and grow a multidisciplinary R&D team including food technologists, culinary

scientists, and process engineers.

o Foster a collaborative environment across departments (marketing, operations, quality assurance,

procurement, etc.).

• Project Management:

o Manage multiple R&D projects simultaneously, ensuring timelines, budgets, and milestones are met.

o Collaborate closely with manufacturing to ensure scalability and production efficiency.

• Regulatory & Quality Compliance:

o Ensure all new products comply with local and international food safety and regulatory standards.

o Work with QA and Regulatory teams to validate label claims, nutritional data, and ingredient

approvals.

• Customer and Market Focus:

o Translate consumer insights into winning product concepts.

o Partner with marketing to support product launches, samples, and technical documentation.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Culinary Science, or related

field.

• 10+ years of progressive experience in food product development, with at least 5 years in Ready-to-Eat

or similar categories.

• Proven track record of successful product launches and innovation in the RTE space.

• Strong knowledge of food processing, preservation methods, packaging technologies, and

ingredient functionality.

• Leadership and team-building experience in an R&D or innovation environment.

• Excellent project management, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.