Assistant Manager NPD (Dairy Products)

Function: New Product Development / R&D / Product Development

Industry: Dairy / Food & FMCG

About the Role :

We are hiring an Assistant Manager – New Product Development (Dairy) to drive product development, commercialisation, and innovation across the Dairy category.

The role combines hands-on technical product development with commercial execution and requires experience across product formulation, trials, sensory evaluation, scale-up, vendor/co-manufacturer development, costing and product launches.

Key Responsibilities :

• Drive end-to-end New Product Development (NPD) from concept development to commercial launch.
• Develop and optimise dairy product formulations and recipes considering consumer preference, nutrition, quality and commercial viability.
• Conduct product trials, sensory evaluation, technical validation and recipe optimisation.
• Support pilot trials, scale-up and commercialisation of new products.
• Conduct market research, consumer studies, competitor benchmarking and category/trend analysis.
• Identify and develop ingredient suppliers, vendors and co-manufacturers.
• Coordinate product specifications, trials, approvals, documentation and launch readiness.
• Work cross-functionally with QA, Procurement, Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, Marketing and Growth.
• Support existing products across production, quality, packaging and supply.
• Work on product costing, margins, pricing and profitability.
• Monitor product/category performance and identify opportunities for product, quality and cost improvement.
• Independently manage multiple NPD projects and associated timelines.

What we are looking for :

• Degree in Dairy Technology, Food Technology, Food Science or a closely related discipline.
• 2–5 years of relevant experience in NPD, Product Development, R&D, Production, Private Labelling or Category Management within Dairy, Food/FMCG, Dairy Manufacturing, Retail or relevant food consulting.
• Strong preference for candidates with hands-on Dairy NPD / Product Development experience.
• Understanding of dairy products, dairy processing, ingredients and food manufacturing.
• Hands-on exposure to product formulation, recipe development, trials, sensory evaluation, scale-up and commercialisation.
• Experience working with vendors, ingredient suppliers and/or co-manufacturers is desirable.
• Understanding of product costing, margins, pricing and commercial viability will be advantageous.
• Ability to coordinate cross-functional projects and take products from concept through commercialisation and launch.