R&D Manager

Private Advertiser; Petaling Jaya; On-site; MYR 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Texas Chicken Malaysia is seeking an R&D Manager to lead the end-to-end product development, from concept to commercial launch, including new menu items, LTOs and improvements. You will govern BOMs, validate recipes and ensure viability against cost targets, safety and brand standards.

You will oversee cross-functional collaboration with Marketing, Operations, Supply Chain, QA, Training and Finance, mentor the R&D team, and drive continuous product improvement in a fast-paced QSR environment

Qualifications

• Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Culinary Arts, Food Innovation or a related discipline.
• 7–10 years of relevant experience in food/product development, including supervisory or managerial experience.
• Experience in QSR, restaurant chains, food manufacturing or multi-outlet F&B operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the overall direction and priorities of the R&D function.
• Develop and manage the product development pipeline in line with the Company's business direction and marketing calendar.
• Identify opportunities for new products, menu improvements and product innovation.
• Provide recommendations to Management on product development opportunities, priorities and risks.
• Lead, coach and develop the R&D team and ensure clear accountability within the department.
• Lead the end-to-end development of new menu items, LTOs and product improvement initiatives, from concept to commercial launch.
• Oversee product formulation, trials, sensory evaluation, yield testing and operational feasibility.
• Ensure products meet requirements for taste, quality, target cost, consumer relevance and operational execution.
• Collaborate with regional/international culinary teams, where applicable, on product development and localisation.
• Ensure adequate testing and validation are completed before products are recommended for approval and launch.
• Own and govern the R&D-related components of the BOM for new products, LTOs and product changes.
• Ensure BOMs accurately reflect approved recipes, ingredients, quantities, portion sizes, yields and product specifications.
• Review and validate BOM changes arising from recipe changes, ingredient substitutions, portion adjustments or product improvements.
• Ensure recipe and BOM changes are properly tested, documented, validated and approved before implementation.
• Maintain proper version control of recipes, specifications and R&D-related BOM records.
• Work with Supply Chain on ingredient specifications, sourcing and substitutions, and provide validated BOM information to Finance for costing purposes.
• Evaluate products based on food cost, yield, ingredient availability, preparation complexity and operational feasibility.
• Ensure new products can be consistently and efficiently executed within the QSR environment.
• Identify opportunities to improve recipes, yields, portions and ingredients for better cost efficiency without compromising product quality.
• Work with Finance and relevant stakeholders to assess product costing and commercial viability.
• Recommend product improvement, reformulation or discontinuation based on performance and commercial findings.
• Lead R&D readiness for all LTO and permanent menu launches.
• Establish development timelines and ensure key milestones are completed according to the approved launch calendar.
• Coordinate with Marketing, Operations, Supply Chain, QA and Training to ensure launch readiness.
• Ensure recipes, BOMs, product specifications and preparation procedures are finalized before rollout.
• Lead post-launch reviews and recommend corrective or improvement actions where required.
• Drive continuous improvement of existing products covering taste, appearance, consistency, preparation method, portion, yield and cost efficiency.
• Review product-related operational issues and customer feedback and recommend improvements.
• Work closely with QA to ensure products meet applicable food safety and quality requirements.
• Ensure approved products can be consistently replicated across outlets.
• Lead corrective product development actions where quality or execution gaps are identified.
• Monitor QSR/ F&B trends, competitor launches, consumer preferences and emerging food and flavour trends.
• Benchmark relevant competitor products and developments within regional Texas Chicken markets.
• Translate market insights into potential product concepts and menu improvement opportunities.
• Maintain a pipeline of product ideas to support future business requirements.
• Act as the key R&D representative for product development and LTO-related matters.
• Work closely with Marketing on product concepts, positioning and launch calendar.
• Partner with Operations on operational feasibility and outlet execution.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain on ingredients, specifications, sourcing and availability.
• Work with QA on food safety, quality validation and product specifications.
• Coordinate with Training on product preparation standards and rollout requirements.
• Work with Finance on product costing and commercial viability.
• Establish and maintain appropriate R&D processes, guidelines and approval workflows.
• Ensure proper documentation of product trials, recipes, BOMs, yield reports, specifications and development records.
• Ensure product development activities follow the required approval process before commercial launch.
• Maintain proper records and traceability for product development and changes.
• Oversee the readiness and proper management of the test kitchen, equipment and R&D resources.
• Manage and provide direction to the Assistant Manager and R&D team.
• Establish departmental objectives, KPIs and individual accountabilities.
• Monitor team performance, project progress and development timelines.
• Coach and develop team members to strengthen the department's technical and functional capabilities.
• Manage R&D resources and expenditure within approved budgets.
• Provide regular updates to Management on the R&D pipeline, LTO status, product development progress, BOM readiness, launch risks and key issues.
• Present product recommendations, development findings and improvement plans to Management.
• Support annual business planning and other strategic product/menu initiatives.
• Perform any other duties as entrusted by the General Manager and/or Management from time to time.
• Qualification & Experience: Degree or Diploma in Food Science, Food Technology, Culinary Arts, Food Innovation, Hospitality or a related discipline.
• Preferably 7–10 years of relevant experience in food/product development, including supervisory or managerial experience.
• Experience in QSR, restaurant chains, food manufacturing or multi-outlet F&B operations is preferred.
• Strong knowledge of product development, recipe formulation, BOM management, food costing, yield management and product commercialization.
• Good understanding of food safety, product quality and QSR operational requirements.
• Strong leadership, project management, analytical and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to lead cross-functional projects from product concept through commercial launch.

Skills

Leadership

Product development

Cross-functional collaboration

Food safety knowledge

QA collaboration

Project management

Education

Degree in Food Science/ Food Technology

Tools

BOM management software

Job description

The R&D Manager is responsible for leading the overall Research & Development function for Texas Chicken Malaysia, covering new product development, Limited Time Offers (LTOs), menu and recipe optimization, R&D-related Bill of Materials (BOM) governance, product commercialization and continuous product improvement.

The role ensures products are innovative, commercially viable, operationally feasible and aligned with Texas Chicken brand, food safety and quality standards. The R&D Manager leads the R&D team and works closely with Marketing, Operations, Supply Chain, QA, Training and Finance to ensure successful product development and launches.

Key Responsibilities:

Lead the overall direction and priorities of the R&D function.

Develop and manage the product development pipeline in line with the Company's business direction and marketing calendar.

Identify opportunities for new products, menu improvements and product innovation.

Provide recommendations to Management on product development opportunities, priorities and risks.

Lead, coach and develop the R&D team and ensure clear accountability within the department.

Lead the end-to-end development of new menu items, LTOs and product improvement initiatives, from concept to commercial launch.

Oversee product formulation, trials, sensory evaluation, yield testing and operational feasibility.

Ensure products meet requirements for taste, quality, target cost, consumer relevance and operational execution.

Collaborate with regional/international culinary teams, where applicable, on product development and localisation.

Ensure adequate testing and validation are completed before products are recommended for approval and launch.

3. BOM, Recipe & Product Governance

Own and govern the R&D-related components of the Bill of Materials (BOM) for new products, LTOs and product changes.

Ensure BOMs accurately reflect approved recipes, ingredients, quantities, portion sizes, yields and product specifications.

Review and validate BOM changes arising from recipe changes, ingredient substitutions, portion adjustments or product improvements.

Ensure recipe and BOM changes are properly tested, documented, validated and approved before implementation.

Maintain proper version control of recipes, specifications and R&D-related BOM records.

Work with Supply Chain on ingredient specifications, sourcing and substitutions, and provide validated BOM information to Finance for costing purposes.

4. Commercial & Operational Viability

Evaluate products based on food cost, yield, ingredient availability, preparation complexity and operational feasibility.

Ensure new products can be consistently and efficiently executed within the QSR environment.

Identify opportunities to improve recipes, yields, portions and ingredients for better cost efficiency without compromising product quality.

Work with Finance and relevant stakeholders to assess product costing and commercial viability.

Recommend product improvement, reformulation or discontinuation based on performance and commercial findings.

5. LTO & Product Launch Management

Lead R&D readiness for all LTO and permanent menu launches.

Establish development timelines and ensure key milestones are completed according to the approved launch calendar.

Coordinate with Marketing, Operations, Supply Chain, QA and Training to ensure launch readiness.

Ensure recipes, BOMs, product specifications and preparation procedures are finalised before rollout.

Lead post-launch reviews and recommend corrective or improvement actions where required.

6. Product Quality & Continuous Improvement

Drive continuous improvement of existing products covering taste, appearance, consistency, preparation method, portion, yield and cost efficiency.

Review product-related operational issues and customer feedback and recommend improvements.

Work closely with QA to ensure products meet applicable food safety and quality requirements.

Ensure approved products can be consistently replicated across outlets.

Lead corrective product development actions where quality or execution gaps are identified.

Monitor QSR/F&B trends, competitor launches, consumer preferences and emerging food and flavour trends.

Benchmark relevant competitor products and developments within regional Texas Chicken markets.

Translate market insights into potential product concepts and menu improvement opportunities.

Maintain a pipeline of product ideas to support future business requirements.

8. Cross-Functional Collaboration

Act as the key R&D representative for product development and LTO-related matters.

Work closely with Marketing on product concepts, positioning and launch calendar.

Partner with Operations on operational feasibility and outlet execution.

Collaborate with Supply Chain on ingredients, specifications, sourcing and availability.

Work with QA on food safety, quality validation and product specifications.

Coordinate with Training on product preparation standards and rollout requirements.

Work with Finance on product costing and commercial viability.

9. R&D Governance & Documentation

Establish and maintain appropriate R&D processes, guidelines and approval workflows.

Ensure proper documentation of product trials, recipes, BOMs, yield reports, specifications and development records.

Ensure product development activities follow the required approval process before commercial launch.

Maintain proper records and traceability for product development and changes.

Oversee the readiness and proper management of the test kitchen, equipment and R&D resources.

10. Team & Performance Management

Manage and provide direction to the Assistant Manager and R&D team.

Establish departmental objectives, KPIs and individual accountabilities.

Monitor team performance, project progress and development timelines.

Coach and develop team members to strengthen the department's technical and functional capabilities.

Manage R&D resources and expenditure within approved budgets.

11. Management Reporting

Provide regular updates to Management on the R&D pipeline, LTO status, product development progress, BOM readiness, launch risks and key issues.

Present product recommendations, development findings and improvement plans to Management.

Support annual business planning and other strategic product/menu initiatives.

Perform any other duties as entrusted by the General Manager and/or Management from time to time.

Qualification & Experience

Degree or Diploma in Food Science, Food Technology, Culinary Arts, Food Innovation, Hospitality or a related discipline.

Preferably 7–10 years of relevant experience in food/product development, including supervisory or managerial experience.

Experience in QSR, restaurant chains, food manufacturing or multi-outlet F&B operations is preferred.

Strong knowledge of product development, recipe formulation, BOM management, food costing, yield management and product commercialization.

Good understanding of food safety, product quality and QSR operational requirements.

Strong leadership, project management, analytical and stakeholder-management skills.

Ability to lead cross-functional projects from product concept through commercial launch.