Varun Beverages - Product Development Manager - Dairy

Job Description :

Develop, approve & Serve new & reformulated high-quality consumer brands dairy products starting from concept through first production including perfecting flavor, color, appearance, shelf life, ingredients, nutrition facts, performance, processing, safety, packaging, coding, consumer testing, resolving patent restrictions, and the accuracy and regulatory compliance of all labels. This position is required in order to provide new & innovative consumer brands products in-line with the corporate mission and emerging market trends, promoting growth of sale & revenue.

Position : Product Development Manager- Dairy

Industry : Dairy, Food & Beverages Production

Location : Nairobi, Kenya

Roles & Responsibilities (but not limited to) :

- To Develop & approve new and reformulations for products based upon quality & customer requirements. Includes reviewing product performance, product sensory evaluation, researching product standards and attributes, determining product safety, and directing consumer testing and analysis by third parties if needed.

- Cross training on 3 to 5 different brands and/or categories is also key to advanced development. At this level, the Product Development Manager is expected to work autonomously and also guide lower level staff in the completion of their projects. Interaction with staff builds the employee development skills needed for the next level - Senior Manager.

- Develop, review & approve packaging & labels for new & reformulated products. Includes assuring technical accuracy, regulatory compliance, and internal requirements.

- Act as the primary technical & regulatory resource for internal & external customers. Includes advising on potential product attributes for new product concepts, researching new regulations, manufacturing capabilities, legal compliance, and tracking food & non-food industry trends.

- Create & manage product specifications. Includes requesting product specifications and other technical documentation from suppliers, creating internal specifications, and reviewing & approving any updates to current product specifications.

- Manage internal & external suppliers, contractors & other outside resources. Includes directing requested product changes, evaluations, consumer testing, and analysis.

Qualifications :

- Bachelor & Master's degree in Dairy Engineering/technology, Food Science / Food Technology

Experience :

- 15-18 years laboratory work, bench-top/prototype formulations, manufacturing/production experience (including supervising plant trials & scale-up) and package/label development and review

- Dairy Products experience & exposure highly preferred

- Excellent time management skills, sense of urgency and desire to complete all assignments on a timely basis.

- Proven knowledge and understanding of new product development process

- Knowledge of ingredient functionality, product formulations, and basic food preparation

- Working knowledge of sensory evaluation procedures; utilizing a well-developed sense of taste, smell, and texture (mouthfeel)

- Understanding of regulatory compliance (FDA, USDA, organic, various industry standards)

- Understanding of food labeling regulations

- Knowledge of microbiology & food/non-food safety

- Thorough knowledge & understanding of manufacturing equipment, systems & and environments

- Proficiency with MS Office and various nutrition databases (ESHA Genesis); the ability to quickly learn and use other software packages

- Experience interacting with suppliers/vendors and customers

- Understanding of GMP, HACCP, TQM and other quality assurance systems