Head - Research & Development/New Product Development - FMCG

Position Overview:

We are seeking an accomplished, visionary scientific leader to head our Research & Development (R&D) and New Product Development (NPD) function at our Chennai headquarters.

Reporting to the executive leadership, the incumbent will own the end-to-end product innovation pipeline - from ideation and kitchen recipe design to bench formulation, pilot testing, commercial scale-up, and regulatory approvals. The role is pivotal in driving sensory excellence, clean-label formulation, cost optimization (VAVE), shelf-life enhancement, and compliance with national and international food standards (FSSAI, USFDA, Codex) while maximizing speed-to-market.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Product Innovation & NPD Pipeline:

- Define and execute the multi-year product innovation and renovation roadmap across spices, blended masalas, RTC, RTE, wet pastes, and snack categories.

- Translate consumer insights, sensory panels, and culinary trends into scalable, commercially viable recipes and formulations.

- Accelerate NPD turnaround times to ensure rapid speed-to-market without compromising product integrity or compliance.

2. Formulation, Recipe Design & Value Engineering:

- Develop robust formulation matrices focusing on taste, texture, aroma retention, stability, and clean-label ingredient sourcing.

- Champion Value Analysis / Value Engineering (VAVE) initiatives to optimize raw material costs (RM/PM) while maintaining sensory parity.

- Design and supervise shelf-life studies, accelerated stability testing, thermal processing validation, and packaging compatibility.

3. Pilot Testing, Factory Scale-Up & Scalability:

- Lead seamless lab-to-plant transfer of formulations, establishing critical control parameters (CCPs) for commercial manufacturing.

- Partner with Operations, Engineering, and Procurement to troubleshoot scale-up issues, refine mixing/grinding/blending protocols, and minimize process losses.

4. Food Safety, Quality & Analytical Assurance:

- Embed Total Quality Management (TQM) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles into product development cycles.

- Direct the central analytical and microbiological labs, ensuring rigorous testing protocols for allergens, heavy metals, microbial loads, and pesticide residues.

5. Regulatory Compliance & Documentation:

- Ensure 100% regulatory adherence across formulations, ingredients, nutrition claims, and labeling norms under FSSAI, as well as international export standards (USFDA, EU, Halal, Codex).

- Manage product dossiers, technical specifications, allergen declarations, and regulatory audit compliance.

6. Team Leadership & Capability Building:

- Lead and mentor a multidisciplinary team of food technologists, flavorists, culinary chefs, microbiologists, and sensory experts.

- Foster partnerships with external food research institutes, academia, and ingredient suppliers to evaluate emerging food technologies.

Candidate Profile:

- Experience: 15 - 24 years of progressive leadership experience in R&D / NPD within reputed FMCG food companies.

- Domain Expertise: Demonstrated success in developing and commercializing products in spices, seasonings, instant mixes, wet condiments, or RTC/RTE categories.

- Technical Depth: Deep knowledge of food chemistry, microbiology, emulsification, thermal preservation, water activity, and packaging interactions.

- Regulatory Acumen: Thorough familiarity with FSSAI regulations, global labeling laws, and export food quality certifications.

- Leadership: Exceptional cross-functional collaboration skills (with Marketing, Supply Chain, and Plant Operations) alongside an entrepreneurial mindset.