Research Associate

Yellowbox HR Services Pvt. Ltd.; Mumbai; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Job summary

Duval Enterprises Private Limited is seeking a Senior Research Associate – Products (Seasoning, Spice and Snacks) to join the Corporate Office in Andheri, Mumbai. The role requires 8–12 years in Food R&D and focuses on leading research and development of seasoning concepts and snack applications.

The candidate will own projects from concept through scale-up, collaborate across functions, and mentor the R&D team to deliver innovative, market-ready products under the SNAPIN brand.

Qualifications

• Qualification: M.Sc. / B.Sc. in Microbiology, or M.Sc. / B.Sc. in Food Technology / Food Science.
• A postgraduate qualification in Food Technology / Food Science is an added advantage.
• Role involves leading R&D on seasonings, spice blends, flavours and snack applications.

Responsibilities

• Lead research on spices, herbs, seasonings and flavour ingredients.
• Translate market and consumer insights into innovative product concepts.
• Develop seasoning formulations, spice blends and application-specific solutions.
• Oversee end-to-end R&D projects from concept to commercialization.
• Mentor and develop the Products R&D team.

Skills

Seasoning formulation

Spice blend development

NPD & scale-up

Sensory evaluation

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Team leadership

Education

M.Sc./B.Sc. in Microbiology

M.Sc./B.Sc. in Food Technology / Food Science

Job description

Role & responsibilities

Position Senior Research Associate Products - Seasoning, spice and snacks Location Corporate Office (Andheri Mumbai) Company Duval Enterprises Private Limited Industry Spice/Food Industry/ FMCG

Experience 8 to 12 years in Food R&D,

(Age between 34 to 39 – Female Candidates only)

Salary Depending on last drawn salary DUVAL manufactures and markets packaged seasonings, spices and herbs under the brand name SNAPIN Spices across India and in select international markets. Duval is driven by the vision of affording anyone in India the ability to transform simple food preparations into a flavorful experience. We are continually developing products to allow every home cook to shine whether it be through our pizza and pasta seasonings, or our Piri‑Piri mix for fries. Duval has achieved much growth in the last decade making us a leading player in our market segment. All this success has been possible because each member of our team brings immense passion and dedication to the job. Our workplace is a purpose-driven environment where we consciously invest in the professional and personal growth of every team member. We are now looking for a Senior Research Associate – Products Seasoning, spice and snacks to complement our team and further grow the SNAPIN brand.

Qualification and Role Description Qualification: M.Sc. / B.Sc. in Microbiology, or M.Sc. / B.Sc. in Food Technology / Food Science. A postgraduate qualification in Food Technology, Food Science, or a related discipline will be an added advantage. Role overview: We are looking for a technically strong, innovative, and future-oriented Senior Research Associate who can take ownership of product research and development activities and gradually grow into a technical and people leadership role within the Products R&D function. The candidate will be responsible for leading research and development of seasonings, spice blends, flavour systems, and snack applications, while building strong technical capabilities within the team. The role will require a combination of hands‑on technical expertise, project ownership, problem-solving, cross-functional collaboration, mentoring, and team development. The successful candidate is expected to develop into a key technical resource and, over time, build, mentor, and lead the Products R&D team.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead research on spices, herbs, seasonings, flavour ingredients, functional ingredients, carriers, and food additives used in seasoning and spices.
• Identify emerging ingredients, technologies, processing methods, flavour systems, and seasoning concepts relevant to the business.
• Translate consumer preferences, market trends, customer requirements, and competitive insights into innovative product concepts.
• Build a pipeline of new seasoning, spice, flavour, and snack concepts aligned with business opportunities.
• Continuously explore new technologies and ingredients that can create differentiated and commercially viable products.
• Lead the development and optimization of seasoning formulations, spice blends, flavour systems, and application- specific solutions.
• Develop seasoning profiles based on required taste, aroma, heat level, colour, mouthfeel, flavour intensity, aftertaste, and application performance.
• Optimize formulations for sensory performance, functionality, stability, manufacturability, and cost.
• Lead NPD, product renovation, reformulation, and product improvement projects from concept to commercialization.
• Independently troubleshoot formulation and application challenges and develop technically sound solutions.
• Take end‑to‑end ownership of assigned R&D projects from concept, formulation, trials, validation, scale‑up, and commercialization.
• Develop project plans, define milestones, manage timelines, and ensure timely completion of R&D activities.
• Coordinate pilot and commercial trials and support successful scale‑up and technology transfer.
• Identify technical risks early and develop appropriate mitigation plans.
• Ensure products are developed with consideration for quality, cost, scalability, manufacturability, and commercial requirements.
• Lead sensory evaluation, comparative studies, product benchmarking, and application testing.
• Benchmark competitor products and analyse ingredient systems, seasoning profiles, flavour characteristics, sensory attributes, and product performance.
• Establish structured approaches for sensory assessment, product comparison, and formulation decision‑making.
• Build and maintain technical knowledge of relevant market and competitor products.
• Lead studies related to shelf life, stability, flavour retention, moisture sensitivity, colour stability, and seasoning performance.
• Evaluate the impact of processing, packaging, storage, and application conditions on product performance.
• Work closely with Quality, Production, Procurement, Marketing, Regulatory, Operations, and other stakeholders to ensure successful product development.
• Provide technical inputs for product concepts, specifications, raw material selection, trials, and commercialization decisions.
• Partner with suppliers and external technical teams for ingredient development, trials, troubleshooting, and innovation projects.
• Communicate technical findings, project status, risks, and recommendations clearly to internal stakeholders.

Preferred Experience & Skills

• 10 to 15 years of hands‑off experience in Food R&D, Product Development, Seasoning, Spices, Flavours, Ingredients, or Snack Applications.
• Strong practical experience in seasoning formulation and spice blend development.
• Strong knowledge of spices, herbs, oleoresins, extracts, flavorings, functional ingredients, carriers, anti‑caking systems, and food additives.
• Strong understanding of sensory evaluation, flavour profiling, benchmarking, formulation optimization, and product troubleshooting.
• Proven experience in NPD, renovation, scale‑up, commercialization, and technology transfer.
• Ability to independently manage multiple R&D projects and priorities.
• Strong ownership mindset with the ability to move from individual technical contributor to team leader.