Food & Beverage Product Development Scientist - R&D & Innovation

Placements24; Pietermaritzburg; On-site; ZAR 520,000 - 760,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Medical benefits

Paid time off

Learning opportunities

Innovative R&D environment

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Product Development Scientist to join a leading FMCG client in George, Western Cape. You will drive new food and beverage product development from concept through commercialization, including laboratory research, pilot trials, and process scale-up.

The role requires strong food science knowledge, creativity, and collaboration across Marketing, Procurement, Operations and QA. You will optimize formulations for taste, texture, shelf-life and cost, ensuring compliance with

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry, or related field.
• 3-5 years in product development within FMCG (food & beverage).
• Experience in formulation development, ingredient functionality, and processing techniques.
• Knowledge of HACCP/GMP and food safety compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of new food/beverage products from concept to commercialization.
• Conduct lab research, formulation development and sensory evaluations.
• Optimize formulations for taste, texture, shelf-life, and cost.
• Plan pilot plant trials and scale-up processes for launches.
• Ensure compliance with food safety regulations and quality standards.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Procurement, Operations and QA.
• Troubleshoot technical challenges in development and manufacturing.
• Stay updated on food science trends and ingredients.
• Document research findings, formulations and processes.

Skills

Food Science

Formulation Development

Food Safety

Analytical Skills

Teamwork

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Food Science

Tools

Lab Equipment

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Product Development Scientist to join a leading FMCG client in George, Western Cape. You will drive new food and beverage product development from concept through commercialization, including laboratory research, pilot trials, and process scale-up.

The role requires strong food science knowledge, creativity, and collaboration across Marketing, Procurement, Operations and QA. You will optimize formulations for taste, texture, shelf-life and cost, ensuring compliance with