Job Responsibilities:

1. RTE & New Category Product Development

· Lead development of RTE products including rice meals, bento, sandwiches, ambient/chilled/frozen categories.

· Drive new category innovation aligned with business growth strategy and customer requirements.

· Manage product lifecycle from concept → bench trial → pilot → scale-up → commercialize.

· Ensure products are scalable, cost-effective, and operationally feasible for mass production.

2. Food Science & Technical Excellence

· Apply strong food science principles in formulation, shelf-life extension, texture, taste, and stability.

· Lead and validate shelf-life studies, challenge tests, and product validation trials.

· Oversee nutritional facts, COA, allergen control, halal compliance, and regulatory documentation.

· Work closely with QA/QC to ensure compliance with HACCP, GMP, Halal, and authority requirements.

3. Machinery & Process Understanding

· Possess strong understanding of food processing machinery (e.g. cooking systems, blast chilling, retort, top seal, MAP, vacuum, freezing).

· Collaborate with Engineering, Production, and suppliers during machine evaluation, trials, and commissioning.

· Translate machine capabilities into product and process innovation.

· Support CAPEX justification through technical feasibility and R&D validation.

4. Culinary Leadership

· Demonstrate exceptional culinary knowledge with strong palate and product sensibility.

· Ensure products meet sensory expectations (taste, texture, aroma, appearance).

· Lead sensory evaluations, benchmarking, and reformulation to meet customer and market needs.

· Balance culinary creativity with manufacturing and shelf-life constraints.

5. Cross-Functional Collaboration

· Work closely with Production, QA, Procurement, Marketing, andmCommercial teams.

· Support customer presentations, sensory sessions, and product justification.

· Engage suppliers and external partners for ingredient sourcing, technology, and innovation.

6. Team Leadership & Capability Building

· Lead, mentor, and develop R&D team members.

· Establish clear R&D workflows, timelines, and accountability.

· Build a strong R&D culture focused on innovation, discipline, and execution.

Job Requirements

· Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Culinary Science, or related field.

· Minimum 8–12 years of R&D experience, preferably in RTE / central kitchen / food manufacturing.

· Strong hands-on experience in RTE product development and commercialization.

· Excellent understanding of food processing machinery and manufacturing constraints.

· Solid knowledge of food science, shelf life, packaging, and regulatory compliance.

· Strong culinary background with proven ability to translate chef level concepts into scalable products.

· Experience working with retail, convenience store, QSR, or OEM customers is an advantage.

· Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.