Senior Manager - Product Developer for Private Label

careem; Dubai; On-site; AED 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the Middle East is seeking a Product Development Manager for its Private Label team in Dubai. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in FMCG product development, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, and managing multiple product projects. This role involves working cross-functionally with teams to launch innovative products that meet high-quality standards. Candidates should have a strong background in food science or related disciplines and a collaborative mindset to thrive in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• 6–10 years of experience in FMCG product development or regulatory affairs.
• Strong knowledge of UAE and GCC food/non-food regulatory frameworks.
• Ability to manage multiple projects with tight timelines.

Responsibilities

• Lead product development lifecycle from ideation to launch for Private Label SKUs.
• Own regulatory compliance and documentation across all categories.
• Coordinate with certification bodies and suppliers to secure required quality approvals.

Skills

Project Management

Regulatory Compliance

Organizational Skills

Education

Degree in Food Science or related field

Job description

Careem is building the Everything App for the greater Middle East, making it easier than ever to move around, order food and groceries, manage payments, and more. Careem is led by a powerful purpose to simplify and improve the lives of people and build an awesome organisation that inspires. Since 2012, Careem has created earnings for over 2.5 million Captains, simplified the lives of over 70 million customers, and built a platform for the region’s best talent to thrive and for entrepreneurs to scale their businesses. Careem operates in over 70 cities across 10 countries, from Morocco to Pakistan.

About the team
Careem’s Groceries team is on a mission to redefine everyday essentials for our customers across the region. As part of this mission, Private Label is a growing strategic priority offering customers high-quality, great-value products under Private Label brands. You’ll join a team of commercial, ops, marketing, and supply chain professionals working cross-functionally to scale this portfolio in the UAE and beyond.

About the role
This role is centred on product development and compliance for our Private Label assortment. You’ll be responsible for owning all regulatory and legal aspects of bringing new private label products to market. This requires you to create product concepts from staples to trendy product innovation and manage the NPD pipeline across all private label categories including formulation, sourcing, determine optimalpackaging, to label approvals, certification, and quality documentation. You’ll collaborate closely with suppliers, commercial teams, and regulatory bodies to ensure our products meet the highest standards of quality and compliance.

What you’ll do

• Lead product development lifecycle from ideation to launch for Private Label SKUs and create NPD pipelines in line with category growth targets
• Own regulatory compliance and documentation across all categories (food and non-food)
• Review and approve product specs, formulations, packaging, and labeling in line with UAE/GCC regulations
• Coordinate with certification bodies, and suppliers to secure all required quality approvals
• Maintain product dossiers, technical specs, and supplier QA agreements - Work cross-functionally with commercial, supply chain, legal, and design teams to launch new products - Support audit and inspection processes as needed

What you’ll need

• 6–10 years of experience in FMCG product development, regulatory affairs, or quality control
• Strong knowledge of UAE and GCC food/non-food regulatory frameworks
• Proven experience working with suppliers, labs, and certification bodies
• Detail-oriented mindset and strong organizational skills
• Background in FMCG, F&B manufacturing, food science, nutrition, or related technical discipline is a plus - Ability to manage multiple projects with tight timelines
• Proactive, collaborative, and thrives in a startup-style environment