Product Development Manager

Product Development Manager 

Job Summary

We are seeking a visionary, highly technical, and execution-driven Product Development Manager to lead our International R&D function for the instant noodle portfolio. Based out of our Singapore International Hub, this pivotal managerial role is responsible for setting the product innovation roadmap, building a high-performing technical team, and driving from-scratch product localization for global markets.

The ideal candidate must be a seasoned food science leader who balance strategic management with deep hands-on formulation expertise. The absolute first priority for this role is an extensive R&D track record in savory sauce and paste formulation. Second and third priorities encompass noodle cake structural engineering and seasoning powder development. This position focuses strictly on instant noodle innovations; beverage experience is excluded.

Key Responsibilities

R&D Leadership & Team Capability Building

• Team Leadership: Formally lead, mentor, and scale a team of food scientists and R&D specialists. Establish clear performance metrics, drive capability building, and foster a culture of technical excellence.
• Strategic Roadmap: Design and execute the international product development strategy, aligning regional culinary profiles with high-volume manufacturing capabilities across AA, EMEA, and APAC.
• HQ Technical Alignment: Act as the primary technical bridge between the Singapore International Hub and HQ R&D counterparts in China, translating corporate core technologies into localized global products.

Core Formulation & Process Engineering(Sauce > Noodle > Powder)

• Sauce & Paste Innovation (1st Priority): Drive the core research, formulation, emulsification, and thermal processing adjustments for high-flavor savory sauce packs, oil concentrates, and braised pastes. Ensure strict shelf-life stability, lipid oxidation control, and optimal flavor release.
• Noodle Cake Rheology (2nd Priority): Oversee wheat flour chemistry, starch texturizers, and alkaline formulations to optimize noodle cake elasticity, rehydration rates, oil-absorption metrics during frying, and structural integrity during shipping.
• Seasoning Powder Science (3rd Priority): Guide the development of complex seasoning powder matrices, managing sodium reduction initiatives, flavor potentiators, and moisture-barrier/anti-caking controls.
• Commercialization & Scale-Up: Oversee the entire product lifecycle from kitchen prototyping to pilot trials and final commercial-scale manufacturing runs at OEM or proprietary factory sites.

Cross-Functional Governance & Vendor Management

• Strategic Sourcing Collaboration: Partner closely with Procurement and external global ingredient suppliers to source, audit, and approve alternative raw materials, innovative starches, and clean-label flavor enhancers.
• Regulatory Compliance: Ensure all new formulations comply strictly with international food regulations, labeling laws, and specialized certifications (e.g., Halal) within target export regions.

Job Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree or higher (Master’s/PhD preferred) in Food Science, Food Technology, Food Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a strictly related scientific discipline.
• Managerial Experience: Minimum of 5–8 years of robust product development experience within commercial food manufacturing, with a proven track record of at least 2–3 years in a formal people-manager or team-lead capacity supervising technical professionals.
• Technical Priority Matrix:
  - Primary Focus: Deep, authoritative R&D mastery in savox sauce, culinary paste, or wet-seasoning formulation is a mandatory prerequisites
  - Secondary Focus: Strong command of starch mechanics, flour chemistry, and line-processing for noodle cakes / extruded dough lines.
  - Tertiary Focus: Competency in dry blending, sensory evaluation, and flavor profiling for seasoning powders.
• Exclusion: This position is strictly dedicated to food and savory product architecture; beverage sector experience will not be prioritized.
• Language & Eligibility:
  - Professional fluency in both English and Mandarin (reading, writing, and speaking) is mandatory to seamlessly collaborate with Mandarin-speaking international partners and defend technical formulations with HQ in China.

Interested candidates kindly forward your CV to [email protected] (JoCheng I-tien, Reg No: R23116744). Feel free to forward this great opportunity to someone who would be a great fit for this role.

All information will be kept strictly confidential. We regret to inform that only successful applicants will be contacted.

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