Assistant Manager, Product R&D

About the role

This is an Assistant Manager position in Product R&D within the Product Department. The role involves leading and participating in new product development from ideation to launch, managing multiple concurrent product development projects, and collaborating with regional product teams to align strategies and contribute to the overall success of the regional product portfolio.

Position Responsibilities

• Lead and participate in new product development from A to Z (ideation to launch)
• Manage multiple product development projects concurrently, overseeing timelines, resources and budgets effectively
• Collaborate closely with regional product team to align strategies, share insights, and contribute to overall success of regional product portfolio
• Ensure local product development efforts align with regional standards and framework
• Create, enhance, and localize product menu that fills a niche in the competitive F&B market
• Develop localized beverages and/or food based on market trends, sales data, operation effectiveness and customer demography
• Establish costing information for new and revised formulation
• Conduct comprehensive market and consumer research to identify emerging trends, technologies, and opportunities for new product development
• Ensure all products comply with Food Safety Standards & Regulations
• Maintain accurate documentation of experiments, procedures and results to facilitate knowledge sharing and intellectual property protection

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Nutrition, Culinary Arts, or a related scientific discipline
• 3 to 5+ years of experience in F&B research and development, product management, or new product development (NPD)
• Proven experience within a multi-outlet cafe chain, Quick Service Restaurant (QSR), or F&B retail environment
• Strong background specifically in coffee, tea, RTD (ready-to-drink) beverages, or dairy/syrup formulations
• Ability to craft digital Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that retail baristas can easily execute during rush periods
• Possess good sensory skills for product benchmarking and development
• Good interest and knowledge in ingredient formulation and development
• Proficient with Microsoft Office & Excel and other relevant software and applications
• Good command of written and spoken English and Tagalog
• No food allergies and possess own transport and willing to travel

A necessity, not a luxury