We are looking for an experienced New Product Development (NPD) Manager to lead the development and enhancement of pet food products within a consumer goods/FMCG environment. The role will focus on product formulation, ingredient evaluation, process development, trials, cost optimization, and commercialization of new products in line with consumer requirements, quality standards, regulatory requirements, and business objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

- Lead end-to-end development of new pet food products and line extensions, from concept and formulation through trials and commercialization.

- Develop, optimize, and document product formulations based on consumer needs, product specifications, quality requirements, and cost targets.

- Research, identify, and evaluate raw materials, ingredients, and emerging technologies for new and existing products.

- Assess ingredient functionality and optimize formulations for product quality, performance, stability, and cost.

- Conduct laboratory, pilot, and plant trials to establish and validate appropriate formulations and manufacturing processes.

- Develop and document manufacturing processes, specifications, and technical protocols for new products.

- Conduct shelf-life studies, sensory evaluations, and product performance assessments.

- Identify product gaps and innovation opportunities through market and competitive analysis.

- Prepare product concepts, technical presentations, and business cases for management review.

- Develop detailed product costing and support cost optimization initiatives.

- Coordinate with R&D, Manufacturing, Quality, Procurement, Marketing, and other stakeholders for trials, scale-up, and commercialization.

- Support ingredient sourcing and qualification in collaboration with Procurement and Quality teams.

- Ensure NPD projects meet defined timelines, quality standards, regulatory requirements, and cost objectives.

- Troubleshoot formulation or process issues and recommend corrective actions during development and scale-up.

- Maintain comprehensive technical documentation related to formulations, trials, specifications, and product development activities.

Required Skills & Experience:

- 6-9 years of experience in NPD/R&D within the FMCG industry; FMCG experience is mandatory.

- Strong experience in food or pet food product formulation and product development.

- Hands-on experience in formulation development, laboratory/pilot trials, scale-up, and commercialization.

- Good understanding of food ingredients, ingredient functionality, processing technologies, and product quality.

- Experience with sensory evaluation, shelf-life studies, product testing, and validation.

- Strong understanding of product costing and formulation cost optimization.

- Experience working with cross-functional teams across R&D, Manufacturing, Quality, Procurement, and Marketing.

- Strong project management, analytical, problem-solving, and stakeholder management skills.

- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Food Technology, Food Science, Dairy Technology, Biotechnology, or a related discipline preferred.