Product Development Assistant Manager (Culinary, R&D).

Reeracoen Singapore Pte Ltd; Singapore; On-site; SGD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Reeracoen Singapore Pte Ltd represents a renowned Japanese restaurant seeking an experienced culinary professional for the role of Assistant Manager – Product Development in Singapore. The candidate will lead hands-on product development, R&D, recipe testing and menu innovation, ensuring taste, quality and commercial viability across outlets.

Reporting to the Operations Manager, you will collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate concepts into scalable menu items and effective launch

Qualifications

• Hands-on product development and R&D experience.
• Strong foundation in Japanese cuisine and recipe testing.
• Experience with costings and scalability for multiple outlets.

Responsibilities

• Develop new menu items and food products aligned with brand standards.
• Lead recipe testing, tasting, and refinement.
• Evaluate cost, feasibility, and scalability of new products.
• Collaborate with Operations, Procurement and Marketing.
• Prepare products for launches and media presentations.
• Maintain product specifications and development records.

Skills

Recipe development

Food R&D

Menu innovation

Japanese cuisine

Hands-on cooking

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

Culinary degree or diploma

Job description

Our client, a renowned Japanese restaurant. They are currently looking for an experienced culinary professional with hands‑on product development and food R&D experience to join our team as an Assistant Manager – Product Development.

In this role, you will be responsible for the development, testing, refinement, and improvement of food products and menu items, ensuring they meet the Company's standards for taste, quality, presentation, consistency, and commercial viability.

The ideal candidate will have a strong foundation in Japanese cuisine, together with practical experience in recipe development, food R&D, product testing and menu innovation. This is an excellent opportunity for a culinary professional looking to move beyond day‑to‑day kitchen operations and take on a more strategic, product‑focused role supporting new product launches and menu innovation.

Reporting to the Operations Manager.

【 Responsibilities 】

1. New Product Development

• Develop new menu items and food products in line with the Company's brand standards, product strategy and business requirements.
• Create, test and refine recipes based on flavour profile, ingredient functionality, culinary techniques, consistency and consumer preferences.
• Conduct hands‑on cooking, product trials and tasting sessions to evaluate taste, texture, appearance, portioning and overall product quality.
• Calculate recipe and food costs and assess the commercial feasibility, scalability and operational practicality of new products.
• Research local market trends, consumer preferences and emerging culinary concepts to identify opportunities for product innovation.
• Explore the use of locally available ingredients while maintaining Japanese culinary principles and the Company's quality standards.
• Adapt Japanese culinary concepts and techniques to suit local consumer preferences, ingredient availability and operational requirements.
• Work with relevant stakeholders to validate, refine and prepare products for launch.

2. Existing Product & Menu Enhancement

• Review and improve existing menu items, recipes and product specifications.
• Identify opportunities to enhance taste, quality, consistency, presentation, cost efficiency and ease of execution.
• Conduct product trials, benchmarking and comparative testing where required.
• Work closely with Operations and outlet teams to test and implement product improvements.
• Ensure recipe and product standards can be consistently replicated across multiple outlets.

3. Ingredient, Supplier & Vendor Collaboration

• Work with suppliers and vendors to identify and evaluate ingredients suitable for product development.
• Assess ingredients based on quality, functionality, availability, consistency and cost.
• Collaborate with Procurement and relevant stakeholders on ingredient sourcing, sampling and product trials.
• Provide culinary and product‑development input during supplier evaluations and sourcing discussions.
• Explore alternative ingredients or suppliers where required to improve product quality, cost or availability.

4. Product Testing, Presentation & Stakeholder Engagement

• Organise and facilitate product testing, tasting and evaluation sessions.
• Prepare and present newly developed products to management and relevant stakeholders.
• Clearly communicate the product concept, ingredients, recipe, flavour profile, costing, development rationale and intended application.
• Gather feedback from stakeholders and incorporate relevant feedback into subsequent trials and product refinements.
• Maintain appropriate product specifications, recipes and development records to support consistent implementation.

5. Product Presentation for Marketing & Media

• Prepare and arrange products for food photography, promotional campaigns, social media content and other media activities.
• Ensure product presentation is visually appealing and aligned with the Company's brand standards and market expectations.
• Work with Marketing and other relevant teams to ensure new products are suitable for both restaurant operations and consumer‑facing promotion.
• Support food styling and presentation during product launches, photography and promotional activities where required.

6. Cross‑functional Collaboration & Project Support

• Participate in meetings and initiatives relating to Product Development and SSMD.
• Collaborate with Operations, Procurement, Marketing and other relevant departments to support product development and launches.
• Work closely with outlet teams during product trials to assess operational feasibility, preparation methods, equipment requirements and consistency.
• Incorporate feedback from internal stakeholders and continuously refine products based on business, operational and consumer requirements.
• Support other product development, culinary innovation and business projects as required.