R&D Manager - Hot Kitchen

Key responsibilities

• Lead new product development (NPD) for hot kitchen and savory products, from ideation, trials, and tasting through to standardized recipes and handover to production

• Develop RTE products (chilled, frozen, or shelf-stable) that maintain taste, texture, and quality after processing, storage, and reheating

• Scale up kitchen recipes and prepare standard recipes, product specifications, and costing (COGS) to meet target margins

• Conduct shelf-life testing and sensory evaluations, and continuously improve existing products based on feedback and data

• Ensure all products comply with food safety and regulatory standards (GMP, HACCP, Halal, BPOM) in collaboration with QHSE

• Collaborate with Marketing, Sales, and Operations to align product development with market trends, brand positioning, and customer needs

• Source and evaluate ingredients and suppliers together with Purchasing to support quality, cost, and supply consistency

About you

• Bachelor's or Diploma degree in Culinary Arts, Food Technology, or a related field
• Minimum 5 years of experience in hot kitchen or savory product development, with at least 2 years in a supervisory or managerial role
• Experience in RTE product development (e.g., cook-chill, frozen, retort, or packaged food) is strongly preferred
• Strong culinary skills across Asian, Western, and Indonesian cuisines
• Solid understanding of food costing, recipe standardization, and production scale-up
• Knowledge of GMP, HACCP, and Halal requirements; familiarity with BPOM registration is a plus
• Experience in central kitchen or food manufacturing environments is an advantage
• Creative, detail-oriented, and data-driven, with strong problem-solving and communication skills
• Able to work in a fast-paced, growing environment and willing to travel to our unit business/branches if needed