Beverage Innovation Manager

Kerry Group; Singapore; On-site; SGD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Kerry is seeking a seasoned beverage innovation leader to join the Southeast Asia Foodservice Chains team. You will shape menu strategy, translate market trends into practical beverage concepts, and drive customer-centric solutions across priority accounts.

Reporting to the GM Foodservice Chains, you will collaborate with marketing, commercial, RDA, insights and external partners to turn ideas into differentiated, commercially relevant menu applications, LTO concepts and activation tools.

Qualifications

• Experience in beverage innovation and menu development for foodservice.
• Knowledge of beverage product applications and activation tools.
• Ability to translate trends into customer-ready concepts.
• Strong presentation and stakeholder-management skills.
• Travel across SEA region as required.

Responsibilities

• Lead SEA Foodservice Chains beverage agenda across priority customers, channels and markets.
• Turn trends and insights into menu strategy and beverage concepts.
• Own beverage concepts from ideation to tasting, launch readiness and post-launch follow-up.
• Develop recipes, menu applications, selling tools, and activation content.
• Engage customers via menu presentations and innovation discussions to grow opportunities.
• Collaborate with marketing, commercial, RDA and insights teams for outcomes.

Skills

Beverage innovation

Menu development

Foodservice marketing

Customer activation

Product application

Presentation skills

English proficiency

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Business/Marketing/Food Science

Certification in coffee/beverages (advantage)

Job description

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day we partner with customers to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products that are consumed by billions of people across the world. Our vision is to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition. A career with Kerry offers you an opportunity to shape the future of food while providing you opportunities to explore and grow in a truly global environment.

About the role

This role is part of the Southeast Asia (SEA) Foodservice Chains team and is accountable for leading the beverage innovation agenda across priority customers, channels and markets. The role shapes menu strategy, builds the innovation pipeline and translates brand priorities, market trends, consumer insights and customer needs into commercial beverage solutions that support above-market growth.

Reporting to the GM Foodservice Chains, this role delivers through collaboration and influence, working closely with marketing, commercial, RDA, insights, customer-facing teams, sub-regional teams and external partners to turn ideas into practical, differentiated and commercially relevant menu applications, LTO concepts and activation tools.

This is a customer-facing role requiring strong beverage and foodservice understanding, practical knowledge of customer business models and store operations, and the ability to convert insights into winning menu solutions that contribute to Foodservice SEA Chains growth plans.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the SEA Foodservice Chains beverage innovation agenda across priority customers, channels and markets.
• Translate trends, insights, customer needs and brand priorities into menu strategy, innovation platforms, beverage concepts and customer-ready applications.
• Own beverage concepts from insight and ideation through customer tasting, concept approval, launch readiness and post-launch consistency.
• Identify customer menu gaps and build compelling recommendations that grow beverage menu share and improve LTO performance.
• Develop practical recipes, menu applications, selling tools, training materials and activation content for commercial teams, distributors and customers.
• Engage customers through menu presentations, beverage demonstrations and innovation discussions that support new business opportunities.
• Challenge the status quo with customer-led, operationally practical beverage solutions that are scalable in store.
• Collaborate across marketing, commercial, RDA, insights, market teams and external partners to deliver outcomes through influence, ownership and disciplined execution.

Qualifications and skills

• Strong experience in beverage innovation, menu development, foodservice marketing, application or customer activation.
• Typically 5–7 years of relevant experience in foodservice, beverages, coffee, QSR, café, ingredients, FMCG, B2B or B2B2C environments.
• Strong knowledge of beverage menu creation, product application, innovation development, customer activation and commercial selling tools.
• Hands-on beverage application capability is strongly preferred, including practical preparation, demonstration and presentation of coffee and/or other beverage applications.
• Able to translate trends, insights and customer needs into practical beverage concepts, customer presentations and activation materials.
• Confident communicator with experience presenting concepts, product applications and customer solutions to internal stakeholders, distributors and customers.
• Comfortable operating as an individual contributor in a matrix environment, influencing stakeholders and owning progress across multiple workstreams.
• Commercial, creative and customer-led, with the discipline to turn ideas into clear plans, tools and measurable outcomes.
• Language proficiency in English is required; a second language applicable to the SEA region is an advantage.
• Able to travel across the region as required.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Marketing, Food Science, Culinary Arts, Hospitality or equivalent
• Relevant industry certification or qualification in coffee, beverages, culinary, hospitality or another applicable technical discipline is an advantage.