Product Development Manager, Ingredient Excellence Centre (Cocoa)

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

Job summary

OFI is seeking an innovative Product Development Manager in Singapore to lead the development and commercialization of new cocoa ingredient solutions for the deZaan brand. The role centers on leveraging the IEC lab in Singapore as a hub for innovation, customer collaboration, and product development.

You will transform customer insights and market opportunities into commercially successful products, working with Commercial, Marketing, Manufacturing, Quality and Supply Chain teams to drive

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a related technical field such as Food Science/Technology, Chemistry, or Chemical Engineering.
• Experience in product development, food innovation, or R&D, preferably within cocoa manufacturing.
• Proven track record of taking products from lab/prototype to scale-up and commercial launch.
• Experience engaging with customers to develop technical or product solutions is advantageous.
• Ability to facilitate innovation workshops and apply structured processes.
• Practical understanding of Design to Value, food quality and safety requirements.
• Experience collaborating with Commercial, Marketing and Operations in a matrix environment.

Responsibilities

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

Skills

Product development

Food innovation

R&D

Customer collaboration

Design Thinking

Scale-up

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in Food Science/Technology or related field

Job description

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Date: 27 Oct 2026

Location: Boon Lay, SG

Function: Innovation, Quality & Food Safety

About Us

As a leading provider of high-quality food and beverage ingredients, we work with farming communities across the globe to grow, source and produce ingredients that are good for consumers, farmers, and the world around us. We supply household food brands and manufacturers worldwide with cocoa, coffee, dairy, nuts and spices ingredients which are often grown on our own farms and estates and sourced from hundreds of thousands of farmers across ~50 countries. Along with our diverse manufacturing and innovation capabilities, this means we can provide ingredients for a range of products, from a plant-based latte mix to an almond based snack bar or a dairy-free ice cream. Making a positive impact on people and planet is a core component of our Purpose, to be the change for good food and a healthy future. With a deep-rooted presence in the countries where our ingredients are grown, we are closer to farmers, enabling better quality, and more reliable, traceable, and transparent supply. And whoever we're with, whatever we're doing, we always make it real.

Product Information

Cocoa

We are a leading supplier of cocoa beans and cocoa ingredients, including cocoa powder, cocoa butter, and cocoa liquor, ranking among the top three processors worldwide. We are a cocoa supplier that provides great natural cocoa ingredients to customers all over the world, working with partners across the supply chain to create indulgent treats for consumers while helping to provide a positive future for cocoa. We work closely with our customers to inspire new concepts and solve for challenges they face in developing new cocoa products for their consumers, while delivering value to their business. Building on two decades of supporting farmers and cocoa-growing communities, around the world, we launched Cocoa Compass in October 2019, with the report published in 2024 winning Sustainability Report of the Year at the UK Green Business Awards! It sets challenging goals to tackle the key issues facing the cocoa supply chain by 2030, with interim milestones for action. We are proud to have already achieved, in 2020, 100% traceability and deforestation monitoring in our direct cocoa supply chain. We source from nine regions across Africa, South America and Asia and operate processing, milling, and refining facilities close to major consumption markets in Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Our cocoa brand portfolio includes deZaan, with over 100 years of excellence, Unicao, Joanes, Macao, Husyman, as well as Britannia specialty fats

We are seeking an innovative and commercially driven Product Development Manager to lead the development and commercialization of new cocoa ingredient solutions for the deZaan brand. This role will leverage our Ingredient Excellence Centre (IEC) laboratory in Singapore as a hub for innovation, customer collaboration, and product development.

You will play a pivotal role in transforming customer insights and market opportunities into commercially successful products. Working closely with Commercial, Marketing, Manufacturing, Quality, and Supply Chain teams, you will drive projects from concept generation through to product launch and market adoption.

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 prioritised 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 and refine solutions based on feedback.
• Support product commercialisation 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

ofi is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to racial or ethnic origin, color, age, religion or belief, sex, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.