Research And Development Manager

JOB DESCRIPTION – R&D MANAGER, DAIRY - Gungal - Andhra Pradesh- Tirumala Milk Products plant

Department: Research & Development – Dairy & Innovation

Reporting to: Head – R&D

Experience: 8–12+ years in Dairy/Food R&D

Qualification: M.Tech/M.Sc./B.Tech – Dairy Technology, Food Technology, Food Science or related discipline

Role Purpose

Lead dairy product innovation, product renovation, process development and commercialization while ensuring consumer relevance, product quality, food safety, regulatory compliance, cost competitiveness and manufacturing feasibility.

Key Responsibilities

1. New Product Development & Innovation

- Lead projects from Concept → Feasibility → Formulation → Lab Trials → Pilot Trials → Plant Scale-up → Commercialization.

- Develop and optimize dairy products including milk beverages, fermented products, yoghurt, lassi/buttermilk, paneer, cheese, dairy desserts, ice cream and functional/high-protein products.

- Conduct market/competitive benchmarking and identify new ingredients, technologies and consumer trends.

2. Formulation & Dairy Technology

- Expertise in milk proteins, fat systems, stabilizers, emulsifiers, cultures, flavours, colours and functional ingredients.

- Optimize taste, texture, stability, nutrition, shelf life and product economics.

- Resolve formulation and processing challenges such as phase separation, sedimentation, syneresis, viscosity variation, protein instability and heat instability.

3. Scale-Up & Commercialization

- Plan and execute laboratory, pilot and commercial plant trials.

- Establish critical process parameters and ensure successful technology transfer to manufacturing.

- Support first commercial production and post-launch product performance.

4. Sensory, Shelf Life & Quality

- Design sensory evaluation and product benchmarking programs.

- Lead real-time/accelerated shelf-life and stability studies.

- Work with Quality and Regulatory teams on specifications, food safety, testing and compliance.

5. Cost Optimization & Process Improvement

- Identify opportunities for formulation, ingredient, yield and process-cost optimization without compromising product quality.

- Drive continuous improvement and product renovation initiatives.

6. Cross-Functional & Team Leadership

- Collaborate closely with Marketing, Quality, Regulatory, Manufacturing, Procurement, Supply Chain and Finance.

- Lead and mentor R&D scientists/executives and manage project timelines, resources and technical deliverables.

- Present R&D project status, risks and recommendations to senior management.

Key KPIs

- Successful NPD launches and commercialization timelines

- Innovation pipeline and project delivery

- Product quality and sensory acceptance

- Successful plant-scale trials

- Cost savings/productivity improvements

- Shelf-life achievement

- Reduction in product/process complaints

- Technology-transfer effectiveness

Ideal Candidate

A strong dairy R&D professional combining hands-on dairy science, formulation, sensory, scale-up and troubleshooting expertise with project and team leadership, capable of converting consumer and business requirements into commercially successful dairy products.

Core Competencies: Dairy Science | NPD | Stage-Gate | Formulation | Pilot & Plant Trials | Scale-Up | Sensory Science | Shelf Life | Process Optimization | Cost Reduction | Regulatory | Team Leadership