Head of Research And Development

Role Objectives:

The Head of R&D leads all product innovation, formulation, and development initiatives across the Bakery, Desserts, and Ready-to-Eat categories. This role ensures that all new products meet market trends, customer expectations, quality, cost, and scalability standards while aligning with the company’s strategic goals. The position combines creativity, technical expertise, and strong leadership to drive continuous improvement and innovation across multiple product lines.

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute the R&D strategy for Bakery, Desserts, and Ready-to-Eat (RTE) categories in line with the company’s business objectives.
• Lead, mentor, and grow the R&D team, ensuring collaboration and innovation across all product categories
• Partner closely with Marketing, Operations, Quality, and Supply Chain to ensure smooth transition from concept to commercial production
• Manage the R&D budget and allocate resources effectively across projects.
• Lead end-to-end product development — from concept creation, bench trials, sensory evaluation, to industrial-scale production
• Oversee recipe formulation, ingredient sourcing, and process optimization for bakery (bread, viennoiserie, cakes, pastries), desserts (cold & baked), and RTE meals.
• Drive innovation through trend analysis, consumer insights, and competitor benchmarking.
• Maintain a robust product pipeline ensuring timely delivery of new launches and renovations.
• Ensure all new formulations comply with food safety regulations, labeling standards, and nutritional requirements.
• Validate and document all formulations, specifications, and process parameters.
• Support cost optimization initiatives through ingredient substitutions, process improvements, and waste reduction.
• Oversee shelf-life studies, sensory panels, and product performance evaluations.
• Work with the Operations and Quality teams to scale up new products and ensure consistency across production sites.
• Support Sales and Marketing with technical product knowledge, ingredient claims, and promotional materials.
• Collaborate with suppliers to explore new ingredients, technologies, and packaging solutions
• Establish an innovation culture and structured stage-gate process for project management.
• Track and report R&D performance metrics such as launch success rate, time-to-market, and cost improvement targets.
• Continuously upgrade technical knowledge on bakery technologies, dessert formulations, and food processing trends.

Required Education, Knowledge, and Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in Science, Chemistry, or related field.
• 15+ years in food R&D, preferably in Bakery, Desserts, and/or RTE (Ready-to-Eat) segments.
• 5+ years in leadership role managing R&D teams.
• Proven track record of successful product launches, innovation, and process optimization.
• Proven experience in developing and commercializing new food products at industrial scale.
• Strong knowledge of food safety systems (HACCP, ISO 22000), sensory evaluation, and regulatory compliance.
• Excellent understanding of ingredient functionality, process technology, and consumer trends.
• Strong project management, analytical, and leadership skills