Product Development Manager, Ingredients Excellence Centre (Cocoa)

Olam Cocoa Pte Ltd.; Singapore; On-site; SGD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Olam Cocoa Pte Ltd. seeks a Product Development Manager to lead development and commercialization of new cocoa ingredient solutions for the deZaan brand, leveraging our IEC laboratory in Singapore as a hub for innovation and collaboration with customers.

You will drive projects from concept generation through to launch, work with Commercial, Marketing, Manufacturing, Quality and Supply Chain, and apply Design Thinking to generate and validate concepts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a technical discipline.
• Experience in product development, food innovation, applications or R&D in cocoa manufacturing.
• Proven track record taking products from lab to scale-up and launch.
• Experience engaging with customers to develop technical solutions.
• Experience facilitating innovation workshops and design thinking.
• Understanding of structured innovation processes including design-to-value.
• Strong knowledge of food quality, safety, and regulatory considerations.
• Experience across Commercial, Marketing and Operations in a matrix environment.

Responsibilities

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

Skills

Product development

Innovation

Customer engagement

Design Thinking

Prototyping

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

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

Job description

About the role

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.

About you

• 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.