Product Development Manager

Olam Cocoa Pte Ltd.; Singapore; On-site; SGD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Olam Cocoa Pte Ltd. is seeking an experienced product developer to lead end-to-end cocoa product development from concept through scale-up and commercial launch.

You will drive innovation by spotting market trends and customer needs, manage a robust pipeline, and coordinate IEC Lab trials and stakeholder engagements. You will partner with Commercial, Marketing, Operations, Quality and Supply Chain to ensure launch readiness and mitigate technical risks, applying Design Thinking to generate new

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a technical discipline such as Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry or Chemical Engineering.
• Experience in product development, food innovation, applications or R&D, preferably in cocoa manufacturing.
• Proven track record taking products from lab or prototype to scale-up and commercial launch.
• Experience engaging with customers to develop technical or product solutions is advantageous.
• Experience facilitating innovation or product development workshops would be beneficial.
• Understanding of structured innovation processes, including Design to Value.
• Strong knowledge of food quality, safety and product development requirements.
• Experience collaborating with Commercial, Marketing and Operations in a matrix environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end B2B new product development from concept to scale-up and commercial launch for cocoa products.
• Drive product innovation by identifying market trends, customer needs and business opportunities.
• Manage an innovation pipeline prioritized by customer value, commercial potential and technical feasibility.
• Oversee IEC Lab activities, executing product trials, prototype development, documentation and compliance.
• Act as the key technical partner to customers and internal stakeholders, translating requirements into solutions.
• Collaborate with Commercial, Marketing, Operations, Quality and Supply Chain to deliver launches.
• Facilitate customer innovation sessions and workshops applying Design Thinking to generate concepts.
• Develop prototypes and product applications for customer evaluation and refine solutions from feedback.
• Support commercialization by managing scale-up activities and mitigating technical risks.
• Provide technical expertise and product knowledge to support customer engagement and growth.

Skills

Product development

Food science

Innovation

Customer engagement

Design thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end B2B new product development, from concept, formulation and prototyping through to scale-up and commercial launch for the cocoa products.
• Drive product innovation by identifying market trends, customer needs, and business opportunities to develop new cocoa-based solutions.
• Manage and grow a robust innovation pipeline, ensuring projects are prioritized based on customer value, commercial potential, and technical feasibility.
• Oversee IEC Lab activities, ensuring effective execution of product trials, prototype development, documentation, and compliance with food safety and quality standards.
• Act as the key technical partner to customers and internal stakeholders, translating customer requirements into innovative product solutions.
• Collaborate closely with Commercial, Marketing, Operations, Quality, and Supply Chain teams to deliver successful product launches.
• Facilitate customer innovation sessions and workshops, applying Design Thinking principles to generate and validate new product concepts.
• Develop prototypes and product applications for customer evaluation andrefine solutions based on feedback.
• Support product commercialization by managing scale-up activities, mitigating technical risks, and ensuring launch readiness.
• Provide technical expertise and product knowledge to support customer engagement and business growth.

Requirements

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or a related technical discipline
• Relevant experience in product development, food innovation, applications or R&D, preferably within cocoa manufacturing environment
• Demonstrated experience taking products from laboratory or prototype stage through scale-up and commercial launch
• Experience engaging directly with customers to develop technical or product solutions would be highly advantageous
• Experience facilitating innovation, ideation or product development workshops would be beneficial
• Practical understanding of structured innovation processes, including Design to value
• Strong understanding of food quality, food safety and product development requirements
• Experience working across Commercial, Marketing and Operations functions in a matrix environment