Open Secret - Head /Lead Food Technologist (R&D)

Job Title: Manager/Senior Manager - Innovation and R&D 

About Us Open Secret is a fast-growing, innovation-driven food & beverage brand making snacks for new India. We are on a mission to transform the way India snacks by creating a range of unjunked food options that are delicious, healthier, and guilt-free. We blend food science, great taste, and transparency to create better-for-you products families love. 

Our Founder and CEO, Ahana Gautam, is a graduate from IIT Bombay and Harvard Business School, and has a strong FMCG background - Procter & Gamble and General Mills. 

We are backed by a stellar group of investors—including Z47(Matrix), Sixth Sense, Ananta Capital, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, and other prominent leaders.

Join us in the Unjunked Revolution. 

Location: Mumbai (in office)

Experience Level: 4 - 7 years

About the Role  

As Manager/Senior Manager - Innovation and R&D, you will own the technical innovation pipeline—from early-stage recipe ideation through successful large-scale manufacturing. This is not a laboratory-only position. You'll be the critical bridge between market opportunity, consumer insights, manufacturing feasibility, and regulatory reality. You'll work directly with contract manufacturers, external consultants, ingredient suppliers, and internal teams to transform raw concepts into production-ready, market-winning products. 

This role demands hustle, pragmatism, and solutions-orientation—the ability to navigate constraints (cost, ingredient availability, shelf life, FSSAI compliance) while maintaining product integrity and delivering breakthrough innovation. 

We are scaling fast and we face new challenges everyday, you need to think fast, solve fast and if necessary, fail fast. 

Key Responsibilities 

1. Product Development and Formulation 

•  Lead recipe development and prototype creation aligned with market trends and Company's healthy snacking positioning
• Design formulations balancing sensory appeal, nutritional efficacy, cost, and manufacturability
• Conduct sensory evaluation, shelf-life testing, and quality analysis
• Create detailed technical documentation (SOPs, BOM, process specifications) 

2. Scale-Up and Manufacturing Partnership

• Identify, evaluate, and partner with contract manufacturers for production
• Manage pilot batches and troubleshoot scale-up issues affecting taste, texture, shelf life, or nutrition
• Establish quality control checkpoints and standardize processes with manufacturing partners
• Ensure packaging and material compatibility for ingredient stability and shelf life 

3. FSSAI Compliance and Regulatory Navigation 

•  Ensure all products meet FSSAI regulations for composition, labeling, and safety
• Manage novel food approvals and regulatory submissions
• Guide ingredient sourcing for compliance with food safety standards (HACCP, GMP, ISO 22000)
• Build relationships with accredited testing labs for validation 

4. Consultant and Vendor Engagement

• Identify and manage external consultants for specialized technical needs (functional ingredients, processing, allergen management)
• Evaluate and partner with ingredient suppliers; ensure cost competitiveness and regulatory suitability
• Represent the Company in industry forums and maintain network of technical experts

5. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Product Management, Marketing, and Operations teams to translate consumer insights into technical requirements
• Support Quality Assurance and go-to-market teams with technical guidance and validation 

6. Innovation and Continuous Improvement

• Identify emerging trends and evaluate commercial viability for the Company
• Optimize existing products for cost reduction, sustainability, or improved nutrition without compromising quality
• Track competitor benchmarking and market innovations 

Qualifications 

1. Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Technology, or Food Engineering (or equivalent qualification from a recognized institution)

2. Certifications in HACCP, FSSAI, or GMP compliance preferred

3. Proficiency in MS Office/Google Suite (especially Excel)

4. Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to prepare concise documents

5. Positive attitude, strong sense of ownership, and willingness to go beyond the job description as needed 6. The candidate must not have any history or current habit of tobacco consumption - smoking, chewing, or vaping. (Tobacco is known to compromise a person sensory ability) 

Experience 

1. 4 to 7 years of hands-on experience in food product development, formula optimization, and scale-up manufacturing in an FMCG or food manufacturing environment

2. Demonstrated experience transitioning prototypes from lab scale to commercial manufacturing (minimum 3 – 5 successful product launches from concept to market)

3. Hands-on experience with sensory testing, shelf-life studies, and quality control testing (chemical, microbiological, nutritional analysis)

4. Proven experience collaborating with contract manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, and external consultants

5. Familiarity with FSSAI regulatory requirements, labeling standards, and approval processes for novel foods or functional products

6. Experience in at least 2 of these categories: bakery, savoury snacks, breakfast cereals, or protein-based foods