Head Research & Development (R&D)

Position: Head – Research & Development (R&D)

Location: Kochi, Kerala

Qualification: M.Sc. / MTech in Food Technology, Food Science, Flavour Technology or a related discipline. Candidates with a B.Tech. in Food Technology and an exceptional track record in product innovation will also be considered.

Experience: 10–12 years of progressive experience in Research & Development within food ingredients, flavours, seasonings, culinary solutions or FMCG food companies, with demonstrated leadership in product development, innovation and commercialization

Why Join Bayfield?

If you are looking for another R&D role, Bayfield may not be the right place for you. If you are looking to help build one of India's next-generation food ingredient and flavour companies, we'd love to meet you.

Bayfield is building a world-class innovation capability that will define the future of our business. This role offers the opportunity to create differentiated products, build proprietary technologies, establish innovation systems, and lead the development of products that delight customers across India and global markets.

As Bayfield enters its next phase of growth, this is a unique opportunity to help build an innovation organization from the ground up, shaping not only products but also the technical capabilities, culture and intellectual property that will differentiate Bayfield for years to come.

Purpose of the Role

The Head – R&D will provide end-to-end leadership for Product Development, Innovation, Application Development, Scale-up, Technical Services and Regulatory Product Compliance.

The role is responsible for developing Bayfield's innovation strategy, building a robust product development pipeline, creating proprietary technologies and formulations, strengthening the company's intellectual property, developing future technical leaders, and fostering a culture of innovation while ensuring commercially successful product development.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Bayfield's end-to-end innovation strategy across seasonings, flavours, culinary solutions, functional ingredients, bakery, dairy, beverage and future food categories.


• Build and manage Bayfield's innovation pipeline, balancing customer-driven developments with internally generated innovation platforms.


• Lead formulation and development of differentiated products that meet customer expectations, regulatory requirements and commercial objectives.


• Develop proprietary technologies, formulations and technical know-how that strengthen Bayfield's intellectual property.


• Develop technical collaborations with research institutions, universities, ingredient suppliers and other strategic technology partners to strengthen Bayfield's innovation capability and accelerate the commercialization of new products.


• Establish world-class R&D laboratories, application facilities, technical systems and innovation processes to support future growth.


• Develop technical collaborations with research institutions, universities, ingredient suppliers and strategic technology partners to strengthen Bayfield's innovation capability and accelerate product development.


• Identify emerging ingredient technologies, consumer trends and global innovation opportunities, translating them into commercially viable solutions.


• Drive structured project management across multiple innovation projects, ensuring delivery against timelines, cost targets and business priorities.


• Partner closely with Procurement to evaluate new raw materials, alternate ingredients and supplier technologies that improve innovation, quality and cost competitiveness.


• Collaborate with Operations, Quality, Commercial and Flavour Creation teams to ensure seamless product development and successful market launches.


• Lead technical interactions with key customers, supporting ideation workshops, co-development projects and technical presentations.


• Build, mentor and develop a high-performing R&D and Application team while fostering a culture of curiosity, creativity and scientific excellence.


• Strengthen regulatory compliance, technical documentation and knowledge management across all development activities.

Who Will Thrive in This Role?

• Thinks and acts with an entrepreneurial mindset.


• Enjoys building organizations, systems and technical capabilities.


• Is passionate about innovation and solving customer problems.


• Combines scientific thinking with commercial understanding.


• Learns quickly and adapts comfortably in a fast-growing environment.


• Builds people as passionately as products.


• Takes ownership beyond defined responsibilities.


• Is naturally curious and constantly seeks better solutions.

Core Functional Competencies

• Product Development & Innovation Management


• Food Science & Ingredient Technology


• Technical Leadership & Capability Building


• Flavour & Application Development


• Scale-up & Commercialization


• Innovation Strategy & Portfolio Management


• Project Management


• Consumer & Market Insight Translation


• Regulatory Compliance & Technical Documentation


• Procurement Collaboration & Ingredient Evaluation


• ERP / Product Lifecycle Management Systems


• Strong analytical, problem-solving and leadership capability 

Preferred Industry Background

Experience in leading food, flavour, ingredient or FMCG companies is preferred. However, candidates with demonstrated product development expertise, strong innovation capabilities and a proven ability to build high-performing R&D organizations, irrespective of the size of the organization they have worked with, are equally encouraged to apply.

 Our Working Philosophy

• Ownership over hierarchy


• Innovation over imitation


• Speed with discipline


• Customer-first thinking


• Integrity in everything we do


• Continuous learning

Success Measures
First 12 Months

• Build a structured innovation pipeline aligned with Bayfield's business strategy.


• Develop commercially successful innovation platforms that contribute meaningfully to Bayfield's future revenue growth.


• Deliver successful product developments against agreed customer and internal innovation priorities.


• Strengthen first-time-right commercialization from laboratory to manufacturing.


• Establish robust technical documentation and knowledge management systems.


• Build a high-performing R&D and Application team.

Within 3 Years

• Establish Bayfield as one of India's most respected innovation-led food ingredient companies.


• Build proprietary technology platforms and differentiated product portfolios.


• Develop a strong technical organization capable of supporting future business expansion.


• Become the technical leader driving Bayfield's long-term innovation strategy.

Career Opportunity

This is more than an R&D leadership role. It is an opportunity to become one of the architects of Bayfield's innovation journey. As the company expands its product portfolio, customer base and global partnerships, this position is expected to evolve into a broader enterprise leadership role with responsibility for innovation, technology and product strategy across the organization. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in shaping Bayfield's long-term technology roadmap and innovation strategy.