Assistant Manager, Product Development (Japanese Cuisine)

good job creations (singapore) pte. ltd.; Singapore; On-site; SGD 40,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

good job creations (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. is seeking a Product Development Chef to drive the creation of new Japanese-inspired menu items and food products. You will test, refine, and standardise recipes to ensure flavour balance, presentation, and consistency across outlets.

You will lead hands-on trials, analyse costs, and adapt concepts to local market needs while collaborating with suppliers and cross-functional teams to support launches and marketing initiatives.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years of professional culinary experience in a Japanese restaurant.
• Hands-on experience in product development, food R&D, or menu development.
• Strong knowledge of Japanese cuisine, ingredients, techniques, and preparation methods.
• Proven experience in recipe creation, product testing, and product improvement.
• Ability to develop and refine recipes with flavour profiling and ingredient functionality.
• Experience presenting concepts, recipes, costing structures, and recommendations to stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Develop new menu items and food products aligned with brand standards and business objectives.
• Create, test, refine, and standardise recipes with focus on flavour balance, texture, and presentation.
• Conduct hands-on product trials, tastings, and evaluations for quality and suitability.
• Analyse food costs and evaluate commercial viability of new and existing products.
• Research market trends and consumer preferences to identify product opportunities.
• Adapt Japanese concepts to meet local market requirements and operations.
• Review and enhance existing menu items, recipes, and product specs for quality and cost efficiency.
• Collaborate with suppliers, vendors, and procurement for ingredient trials and sourcing.
• Organise product presentations, tastings, and stakeholder evaluations.
• Prepare products for photography, campaigns, and marketing content.
• Partner with operations to ensure successful product implementation and launch readiness.
• Support product development projects as needed.

Skills

Culinary expertise

Product development

Japanese cuisine knowledge

Recipe creation

Costing & budgeting

Stakeholder presentation

Job description

[Job ID: 1680436]

Responsibilities

• Develop new menu items and food products aligned with brand standards, business objectives, and product strategies.
• Create, test, refine, and standardise recipes with a focus on flavour balance, ingredient functionality, presentation, and consistency.
• Conduct hands‑on product trials, tastings, and evaluations to assess quality, texture, appearance, and operational suitability.
• Analyse food costs and evaluate the commercial viability of new and existing products.
• Research market trends, consumer preferences, and emerging culinary developments to identify product opportunities.
• Adapt Japanese culinary concepts and techniques to meet local market requirements and operational needs.
• Review and enhance existing menu items, recipes, and product specifications to improve quality, consistency, and cost efficiency.
• Collaborate with suppliers, vendors, and procurement teams to evaluate ingredients, conduct sourcing trials, and identify suitable materials for product development.
• Organise and facilitate product presentations, tasting sessions, and stakeholder evaluations.
• Prepare products for food photography, promotional campaigns, social media content, and marketing initiatives.
• Partner with operations and cross-functional teams to ensure successful product implementation, launch readiness, and outlet consistency.
• Support product development projects and other business initiatives as required.

Requirements

• Minimum 2 years of professional culinary experience in a Japanese restaurant environment.
• Hands‑on experience in product development, food R&D, menu development, or a similar culinary product development role.
• Strong knowledge of Japanese cuisine, ingredients, culinary techniques, and food preparation methods.
• Proven experience in recipe creation, product testing, recipe optimisation, and product improvement.
• Ability to develop and refine recipes with a sound understanding of flavour profiling, ingredient functionality, and culinary techniques.
• Experience presenting product concepts, recipes, costing structures, and development recommendations to stakeholders.