Product Development Specialist

Spinneys; Dubai; On-site; AED 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and benefits

Job summary

Spinneys seeks a Product Development Specialist in Dubai to create, test, and refine innovative food products for own-label ranges, fresh counters, and café offerings.

You will lead trials, tastings, and refinements from concept to launch, ensuring scalability and adherence to UAE food safety standards, while collaborating with Category Managers and suppliers to deliver high-quality products.

Qualifications

• Diploma or Degree in Culinary Arts, Food Science, or related field.
• 3–5 years in product development within retail, food manufacturing, or hospitality.
• Ability to translate culinary ideas into commercially viable products.
• Experience scaling recipes for production or retail environments.

Responsibilities

• Develop, test, and refine recipes for retail products, fresh counters, and café offerings.
• Support development of new food products from concept through launch, including trials and tastings.
• Create innovative product concepts aligned with category strategies and customer demand.
• Ensure recipes scale for retail or production while maintaining quality and consistency.
• Monitor food trends and ingredients to identify development opportunities.
• Benchmark products against competitors and industry standards to stay ahead.
• Collaborate with Category Managers and Commercial teams to align with strategies.
• Work with production teams, factories, and suppliers to deliver launches.
• Assist with implementation and training on preparation methods and standards.
• Ensure compliance with UAE food safety and quality standards.

Skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Creative problem-solving

Food-ingredient knowledge

Education

Diploma in Culinary Arts or Food Science

Job description

Job Description:

Spinneys, the UAE’s leading premium food retailer, is looking for a creative and commercially minded PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST to join our NPD team in Dubai.

In this role, you will create, test, and refine innovative food products across our retail ranges, fresh counters, and Spinneys Kitchen Café, helping us deliver exciting, high-quality own-label products for our customers.

This is an opportunity for a chef who is passionate about food innovation, ingredients, and culinary trends to help shape the future of Spinneys’ food offering and support the development of new products from concept through to launch.

ORGANIZATIONAL FIT:

This person reports directly reports to the NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop, test, and refine recipes for retail products, fresh counters, and café offerings.
• Support the development of new food products from initial concept through to product launch, including trials, tastings, and refinements.
• Create innovative product concepts aligned with category strategies and customer demand.
• Ensure recipes can be scaled for retail or production environments while maintaining quality and consistency.
• Monitor and analyze food trends, ingredients, and lifestyle changes to identify product development opportunities.
• Benchmark Spinneys products against competitor offerings and industry standards to maintain a leading market position.
• Work closely with Category Managers and Commercial teams to ensure products align with product strategies and range tiering.
• Collaborate with internal production teams, factories, and suppliers to deliver successful product launches.
• Assist with implementation and training, ensuring teams are properly guided on preparation methods and standards.
• Strong awareness and understanding of food safety and quality standards in the UAE, ensuring all recipes, preparation methods, and handling practices comply with local regulations and company policies.
• Conduct product trials and tastings to ensure quality, consistency, and commercial viability.
• Maintain clear recipe documentation and product specifications to support production.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS:

• Diploma or Degree in Culinary Arts, Food Science, or a related field.
• Minimum 3–5 years of experience in product development within retail, food manufacturing, or hospitality.
• Experience developing recipes that can be scaled for production or retail environments while maintaining quality and consistency.
• Strong knowledge of food ingredients, culinary techniques, and emerging food trends.
• Ability to translate culinary ideas into commercially viable products.
• Strong collaboration skills and ability to work with cross‑functional teams.
• Creative mindset with strong problem‑solving abilities.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast‑paced, agile environment.

Spinneys is an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company and offers a competitive salary and benefit package for this role.

All applications must please be submitted via the portal and will close on Sunday – 30th August 2026.

Any applications after this date will not be considered.