Senior Manager, Research & Development

myNews; Petaling Jaya; On-site; MYR 111,600 - 167,400; Full time

Job summary

A leading food company in Petaling Jaya is seeking a qualified R&D professional to lead product development, including ready-to-eat meals and innovative food products. The ideal candidate will have a degree in Food Science, at least 8-12 years of experience in R&D within the food manufacturing sector, and a robust culinary background. Responsibilities include developing scalable products, ensuring regulatory compliance, and mentoring a talented R&D team.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8–12 years of R&D experience in RTE, central kitchen, or food manufacturing.
• Solid knowledge of food processing machinery and manufacturing constraints.
• Strong hands-on experience in RTE product development and commercialization.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of RTE products including ricemeals and sandwiches.
• Oversee nutritional facts, allergen control, and regulatory documentation.
• Collaborate with Engineering and Production for machine evaluation.

Skills

R&D product development

Food science principles

Culinary knowledge

Machinery understanding

Leadership and mentoring

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Culinary Science

Job description

1. RTE & New Category Product Development

• Lead development of RTE products including ricemeals, bento, sandwiches, ambient/chilled/frozen categories.
• Drive new category innovation aligned withbusiness growth strategy and customerrequirements.
• Ensure products are scalable, cost-effective,and operationally feasible for mass production.

2. Food Science & Technical Excellence

• Apply strong food science principles informulation, shelf-life extension, texture, taste, and stability.
• Lead and validate shelf-life studies, challengetests, and product validation trials.
• Oversee nutritional facts, COA, allergencontrol, halal compliance, and regulatory documentation.
• Work closely with QA/QC to ensure compliancewith HACCP, GMP, Halal, and authority requirements.

3. Machinery & Process Understanding

• Possess strong understanding of food processingmachinery (e.g. cooking systems, blast chilling, retort, top seal, MAP, vacuum,freezing).
• Collaborate with Engineering, Production, andsuppliers during machine evaluation, trials, and commissioning.
• Translate machine capabilities into product andprocess innovation.
• Support CAPEX justification through technicalfeasibility and R&D validation.

4. Culinary Leadership

• Demonstrate exceptional culinary knowledge withstrong palate and product sensibility.
• Ensure products meet sensory expectations(taste, texture, aroma, appearance).
• Lead sensory evaluations, benchmarking, andreformulation to meet customer and market needs.
• Balance culinary creativity with manufacturingand shelf-life constraints.

5. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Production, QA, Procurement,Marketing, andmCommercial teams.
• Support customer presentations, sensorysessions, and product justification.
• Engage suppliers and external partners foringredient sourcing, technology, and innovation.

6. Team Leadership & Capability Building

• Lead, mentor, and develop R&D team members.
• Establish clear R&D workflows, timelines,and accountability.
• Build a strong R&D culture focused oninnovation, discipline, and execution.

Job Requirements

• Degree in Food Science, Food Technology,Culinary Science, or related field.
• Minimum 8–12 years of R&D experience,preferably in RTE / central kitchen / food manufacturing.
• Strong hands-on experience in RTE productdevelopment and commercialization.
• Excellent understanding of food processingmachinery and manufacturing constraints.
• Solid knowledge of food science, shelf life,packaging, and regulatory compliance.
• Strong culinary background with proven abilityto translate chef level concepts into scalable products.
• Experience working with retail, conveniencestore, QSR, or OEM customers is an advantage.
• Strong leadership, communication, andproblem-solving skills.