Food Product Development Scientist - Innovative R&D Leader

Placements24; Bloemfontein; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Performance bonus

Health benefits

Paid time off

Professional development

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking an innovative Product Development Scientist in Bloemfontein to lead the full lifecycle of food product development within the FMCG sector. You will drive concept-to-commercialization efforts, including formulation, benchtop work, pilot plant testing, and scale-up for manufacturing.

The role requires a strong background in food science, hands-on formulation, sensory evaluation, and shelf-life testing, with a commitment to safety, quality, and regulatory compliance across

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years in food product development, preferably FMCG.
• Strong knowledge of food chemistry, ingredient functionality, and food processing technologies.
• Hands-on formulation, sensory evaluation, and shelf-life testing.
• Familiarity with GMP, HACCP, and other food safety standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of new food products from concept to commercialization, adhering to project timelines and budgets.
• Formulate and optimize product recipes, ensuring desired taste, texture, shelf-life, and nutritional profiles.
• Conduct benchtop experiments, sensory evaluations, and shelf-life studies.
• Plan and execute pilot plant trials and support the scale-up process for manufacturing.
• Ensure all product development activities comply with food safety regulations, quality standards, and internal policies.
• Collaborate with marketing, procurement, and operations teams to ensure successful product launches and market acceptance.

Skills

Food chemistry

Ingredient functionality

Project management

Communication

Benchtop techniques

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Food Science

Tools

Benchtop equipment

Pilot plant tooling

Job description

Placements24 is seeking an innovative Product Development Scientist in Bloemfontein to lead the full lifecycle of food product development within the FMCG sector. You will drive concept-to-commercialization efforts, including formulation, benchtop work, pilot plant testing, and scale-up for manufacturing.

The role requires a strong background in food science, hands-on formulation, sensory evaluation, and shelf-life testing, with a commitment to safety, quality, and regulatory compliance across