R&D Group Manager - Beverage and Snacks

Nutri-Asia, Inc.; Marilao; On-site; PHP 1,800,000 - 3,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Nutri-Asia, Inc. is seeking an experienced R&D Group Manager for Beverage & Snacks to provide strategic and technical leadership across multiple categories. You will guide projects from concept through commercialization, ensuring quality, safety, and governance in alignment with business priorities.

The role requires extensive R&D management experience, strong technical and financial acumen, and the ability to drive innovation across cross-functional teams and stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Degree in BS Food Technology, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Packaging Engineering or related courses.
• 12 years in food manufacturing/beverage, with 8+ years in R&D/product, process or packaging development.
• 4+ years in managerial or equivalent leadership role.
• Strong technical knowledge and strategic thinking in Beverage and Snacks.
• Experience managing multiple product categories and complex cross-functional projects.
• Compliance with 5S, 6S, GMP, HACCP and FSMS requirements.
• Advanced proficiency in MS Office and analytics tools.
• Strong understanding of business, category, consumer, market trends.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen.
• Excellent communication, influencing, negotiation and stakeholder management.
• Cross-functional and enterprise mindset with R&D integration across functions.

Responsibilities

• Develops long-term R&D and technical roadmap for Beverage and Snacks categories.
• Translates business needs into technical strategies and development priorities.
• Provides technical direction for product, process, packaging, technology, and applications.
• Evaluates emerging technologies, ingredients, processes, and market trends.
• Leads R&D projects from concept to commercialization and production normalization.
• Prioritizes projects based on impact and capacity.
• Ensures compliance with regulatory, quality, and governance standards.
• Balances innovation with cost, speed-to-market and feasibility.
• Provides leadership to multiple teams and aligns resources with strategy.
• Coaches and mentors to develop technical and leadership capabilities.

Skills

Technical leadership

Strategic thinking

Beverage & Snacks

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication & negotiation

Financial acumen

Data analysis tools

Project leadership

Education

BS Food Technology

Chemistry

Chemical Engineering

Packaging Engineering

Related courses

Tools

MS Office

Job description

About the role

The R&D Group Manager - Beverage & Snacks provides strategic, technical, and people leadership for the Beverage and Snacks portfolio, driving innovation, renovation, optimization, quality, profitability, and technical excellence in support of sustainable business growth.

The R&D Group Manager owns the technical direction of assigned multiple categories/functions, leads the team in delivering projects from concept through commercialization, and ensures effective application of R&D standards, governance, technology, and best practices.

The role ensures all development activities comply with Food Safety Management System requirements and support safe, high-quality, and compliant product commercialization.

Key responsibilities

• Develops the long-term R&D and technical roadmap for the Beverage and Snacks categories, aligned with business strategy, consumer needs, market opportunities, and growth priorities.
• Translates business and consumer needs into technical strategies, innovation opportunities, and development priorities.
• Provides technical direction for product, process, packaging, technology, and/or application development.
• Evaluates emerging technologies, materials, ingredients, processes, packaging solutions, and market trends and determines their potential application to the portfolio.
• Leads the planning and execution of R&D projects from concept development through commercialization and production normalization.
• Prioritizes projects, resources, timelines, and technical activities based on business impact and organizational capacity.
• Ensures compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, corporate standards, product specifications, food safety, quality, and R&D governance.
• Balances innovation, quality, cost, speed-to-market, technical risk, and operational feasibility in making portfolio decisions.
• Provides overall leadership and direction to multiple teams, ensuring alignment of people, priorities, resources, and capabilities with R&D and business strategies.
• Develops and strengthens technical and leadership capabilities through coaching, mentoring, performance management, knowledge sharing, and targeted development plans.

About you

• Degree in BS Food Technology, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Packaging Engineering or related courses
• Minimum of twelve (12) years of relevant experience in food manufacturing / beverage industry, with at least eight (8) years in R&D/product, process and/or packaging development
• Minimum of four (4) years in a managerial or equivalent functional leadership role
• Strong technical knowledge and strategic thinking, innovation leadership specific to Beverage and Snacks
• Demonstrated experience managing multiple product categories, product platforms or a major R&D functional area, with responsibility for complex cross-functional projects and people development
• Complies to 5S, 6S, GMP, HACCP and FSMS requirements
• Advanced proficiency in relevant digital and analytical tools, including MS Office and other systems required for R&D
• Strong understanding of the business, category, consumer, market, competitive landscape, and industry trends
• Strong financial and commercial acumen, with the ability to analyze and interpret category and business financials
• Highly developed communication, influencing, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills
• Strong cross-functional and enterprise mindset, with a comprehensive understanding of how R&D integrates with Marketing, Manufacturing, QA/TQM, Supply Chain, Procurement, Finance, Regulatory, and other business functions