Head of Research & Development

Mamee-Double Decker (M) Sdn Bhd; Subang Jaya; On-site; MYR 300,000 - 600,000; Full time

Job summary

Mamee-Double Decker (M) Sdn Bhd is seeking a Head of R&D to lead innovation-led growth and ensure product quality across multiple markets including Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar and global export. You will drive the end-to-end product development lifecycle, scale-up, technology transfer and regulatory compliance across Snacks, Instant Noodles, Beverages, Sauces, Seasonings and Culinary products.

The role requires a strong track record in Food & Beverage R&D leadership, extensive experience across

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Food Engineering, Chemistry or related discipline.
• 10-15 years of experience in Food & Beverage R&D.
• 3-5 years of leadership experience managing technical teams.
• Strong experience in Snacks, Instant Noodles, Beverages, Sauces, Seasonings or related food categories.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the Group R&D Strategy aligned with business objectives and long-term growth plans.
• Lead New Product Development (NPD), product renovation, engineering, cost optimization and product harmonization programs.
• Provide technical leadership and support to manufacturing facilities across the Group; drive root cause investigations and process validations.
• Ensure compliance with Local and International food regulations, Halal requirements, FSSC 22000, HACCP and GMP; review product specs and documentation.
• Establish R&D governance, policies and knowledge management; drive digitalization of R&D systems.
• Lead and develop R&D teams; establish objectives, KPIs and development plans.

Skills

Leadership

Strategy

Project management

Team development

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science/Technology/Engineering or related

Job description

The Head of R&D serves as the technical leader for the organization, responsible for delivering innovation-led growth, product quality excellence, manufacturing support, cost optimization, and technology advancement while ensuring compliance with regulatory, food safety, and customer requirements.

The role oversees R&D operations supporting Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar and global export markets, covering Snacks, Instant Noodles, Beverage, Sauces, Seasonings, Culinary Products and future growth categories.

Strategic Leadership & Innovation

Develop and execute the Group R&D Strategy aligned with business objectives and long-term growth plans.

Build and manage the innovation pipeline across all categories and markets.

Lead New Product Development (NPD), product renovation, engineering, cost optimization and product harmonization programs.

Identify emerging consumer trends, market opportunities and new technology platforms.

Support business expansion through innovation and technical capability development.

Drive premiumization, health & wellness, sustainability and clean-label initiatives.

Lead end-to-end product development from concept generation through commercialization.

Manage product development for Snacks, Potato Chips & Crisps, Instant Noodles & Noodle Snacks, Beverage, Sauces, Condiments and Culinary Products.

Conduct feasibility assessments covering technical, operational, commercial and regulatory requirements.

Ensure successful scale-up and technology transfer from laboratory to manufacturing plants.

Lead product benchmarking, sensory evaluation and consumer validation programs.

Drive commercialization activities and performance reviews.

Product, Process & Packaging Technology

Establish and maintain technical mastery system of products, ingredients, packaging and manufacturing processes.

Lead formulation development and process optimization initiatives.

Develop proprietary technologies, recipes and manufacturing know-how.

Evaluate and implement new ingredients, technologies and packaging solutions.

Support manufacturing teams in troubleshooting and continuous improvement initiatives.

Drive alternative material and productivity improvement programs.

Manufacturing Technical Support

Provide technical leadership and support to manufacturing facilities across the Group.

Lead root cause investigations for quality, process and product performance issues.

Support factory trials, process validations and commissioning activities.

Establish technical standards and best practices across manufacturing sites.

Ensure manufacturing capability is aligned with product and innovation requirements.

Food Safety, Quality & Regulatory Compliance

Ensure all products are developed according to Food Safety by Design principles.

Ensure compliance with Local Food Regulations, International Food Regulations, Customer Standards, Halal Requirements, FSSC 22000, HACCP, GMP

Review and approve Product specifications, Ingredient declarations, Nutrition information, Shelf-life recommendations, Technical documentation

Support customer complaints, crisis management and product quality investigations.

Supplier Innovation & External Collaboration

Build strategic partnerships with suppliers, universities and/or research institutes.

Lead supplier innovation and ingredient qualification programs.

Evaluate new raw materials, packaging materials and processing technologies.

Support supplier technical audits and qualification activities.

Consumer & Sensory Excellence

Establish sensory methodologies and evaluation standards.

Conduct benchmarking, sensory optimization and consumer acceptance studies.

Translate consumer insights into commercially successful products.

R&D Governance & Knowledge Management

Establish and maintain R&D policies, procedures and governance systems.

Ensure proper management of Formulations, Product Specifications, Bills of Materials, Technical Databases & Intellectual Property

Drive digitalization of R&D systems and processes.

Protect proprietary information and confidential technical data.

Leadership & Talent Development

Lead and develop R&D teams

Build technical competency and succession pipelines.

Coach, mentor and develop future technical leaders.

Foster a culture of innovation, accountability and continuous improvement.

Establish clear objectives, KPIs and development plans for team members.

Job Requirements:

Minimum Bachelor's Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Food Engineering, Chemistry or related discipline.

10-15 years of experience in Food & Beverage R&D.

3-5 years of leadership experience managing technical teams.

Strong experience in Snacks, Instant Noodles, Beverages, Sauces, Seasonings or related food categories.

Proven track record in innovation, commercialization and manufacturing support.

Experience managing regional or multi-country operations is highly desirable.

Strong understanding of global food regulations, food safety systems and manufacturing processes.

Frequent domestic and international travel required to support manufacturing facilities, suppliers, customers, innovation programs and business

Mamee-Double Decker is renowned and globally recognized as one of the leading FMCG giants in Malaysia. Founded in 1971, from humble beginnings made its way to success after 52 years of perseverance, dedication and honest hard work. Today offering an impressive range of over 100 products which includes key all-time favourites such as Mamee Monster Snack, Mister Potato and Mamee Chef just to name a few. Mamee-Double Decker has also achieved breaching worldwide consumer markets, exporting to a staggering number of over 100 countries and growing. To keep up with the colossal global consumer demands, Mamee-Double Decker has taken the initiative to set up additional Manufacturing Facilities (apart from Malaysia) across strategic locations.

Here at Mamee-Double Decker we hold strong to our core values known as the Mamee 4 I’s which are Innovation, Integrity, Intensity and Involvement.

For more information about Mamee-Double Decker, visit www.mamee.com

Mamee-Double Decker is renowned and globally recognized as one of the leading FMCG giants in Malaysia. Founded in 1971, from humble beginnings made its way to success after 52 years of perseverance, dedication and honest hard work. Today offering an impressive range of over 100 products which includes key all-time favourites such as Mamee Monster Snack, Mister Potato and Mamee Chef just to name a few. Mamee-Double Decker has also achieved breaching worldwide consumer markets, exporting to a staggering number of over 100 countries and growing. To keep up with the colossal global consumer demands, Mamee-Double Decker has taken the initiative to set up additional Manufacturing Facilities (apart from Malaysia) across strategic locations.

Here at Mamee-Double Decker we hold strong to our core values known as the Mamee 4 I’s which are Innovation, Integrity, Intensity and Involvement.

For more information about Mamee-Double Decker, visit www.mamee.com