R&D Manager – Cooking Sauce

1. Job Purpose

Lead product research, development, and innovation for the Cooking Sauce category, including chili sauce, ketchup, and other cooking sauces and condiments. Drive product innovation, formulation excellence, quality improvement, and cost optimization while ensuring consumer relevance, food safety, regulatory compliance, and large-scale manufacturing feasibility.

2. Key Responsibilities

Product Innovation & Development Strategy

Develop and execute R&D strategies and innovation pipelines aligned with category business objectives, consumer insights, and market trends.

Lead new product development, product renovation, formulation improvement, and technology innovation initiatives across the Cooking Sauce portfolio.

Partner with Marketing and Consumer & Sensory Insights teams to translate consumer needs, market opportunities, and sensory research into commercially viable product concepts and formulations.

Formulation & Technology Management

Lead formulation development and optimization to achieve target taste profiles, color, viscosity, texture, product stability, and cost competitiveness.

Evaluate raw materials, ingredient systems, and processing technologies to improve product quality, differentiation, and manufacturing efficiency.

Oversee laboratory and pilot trials, factory trials, scale-up, and technology transfer to ensure successful industrial implementation.

Provide technical leadership in resolving complex issues related to formulations, raw materials, product stability, sensory quality, and manufacturing processes.

Project Management & Commercialization

Manage the end-to-end R&D project pipeline, from concept development and formulation through validation, factory implementation, and commercialization.

Ensure projects meet agreed timelines, quality standards, cost targets, food safety requirements, and manufacturing feasibility.

Collaborate with Manufacturing, QA/QC, Regulatory Affairs, Packaging, Procurement, and other stakeholders to address technical challenges and ensure effective project execution.

Evaluate post-launch product performance and identify opportunities for continuous improvement and portfolio optimization.

Team Leadership & Resource Management

Lead, coach, and develop the R&D team, building technical capabilities and a strong product development culture.

Manage project priorities, resource allocation, laboratory capabilities, and R&D budgets in line with business needs.

Establish and maintain technical standards, formulation databases, testing protocols, and product development procedures.

Drive continuous improvement in R&D processes, project execution, product quality, and development efficiency.

Bachelor's degree or above in Food Technology, Food Science, Chemistry, Biotechnology, or a related discipline.Approximately 8 years of R&D experience in the food industry, including experience leading projects and/or managing technical teams.Strong preference for candidates with direct experience in cooking sauces, condiments, chili sauce, ketchup, liquid seasonings, or related food categories.Proven expertise in formulation development, raw material evaluation, cost optimization, scale-up, technology transfer, and product commercialization.Strong knowledge of food ingredients, processing technologies, sensory quality, product stability, food safety, and industrial manufacturing.Demonstrated leadership, project management, technical problem-solving, and cross-functional collaboration capabilities.Consumer-oriented mindset with the ability to translate market needs into technically feasible and commercially successful products.

Thưởng

Attractive salary package with annual bonuses of up to 16 months’ salary, subject to company policy and performance.

Health insurance coverage for the employee and up to two eligible family members.

Training