Assistant Manager Product Development - Food Services

National Foods Limited is committed to growth by strengthening its brands, financial position, global reach, and dedication to sustainability. We are seeking a dynamic professional to enhance and evolve our institutional and food-service product range. This role involves working closely with Sales and the National/Regional Culinary Experience Manager teams to ensure smooth execution of product development from concept to launch, aligning with changing customer preferences, regulatory standards, and market trends.

Key Responsibilities

- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Sales and Culinary Experience Managers, to generate innovative food product ideas tailored for institutional and food-service customers based on market insights and customer needs.
- Analyze market trends, competitor offerings, and customer preferences alongside Sales and Culinary Experience Managers to identify opportunities for product innovation and improvement.
- Develop and refine recipes and formulations with the Culinary Experience team, focusing on taste, texture, appearance, nutritional value, shelf life, and cost-effectiveness suitable for institutional and HORECA applications.
- Ensure all product development complies with food safety regulations, including labeling, nutrition facts, and allergen declarations.
- Optimize ingredient costs without compromising product quality by evaluating alternative ingredients and production methods appropriate for bulk food-service use.
- Partner with the Quality Control team to establish and maintain quality assurance procedures that guarantee consistency and safety throughout production.
- Organize and conduct sensory panels and product trials with Culinary Experience Managers and key institutional customers to assess product attributes, incorporate feedback, and drive improvements.
- Manage the entire product development lifecycle for food-service division products, including timeline setting, resource allocation, testing, and progress tracking to meet Sales and customer expectations.
- Coordinate with Manufacturing to scale production from lab to commercial levels, ensuring packaging formats meet institutional requirements.
- Work with Procurement to identify and assess suppliers for ingredients and raw materials, ensuring compliance with quality and safety standards.
- Collaborate with Supply Chain and Manufacturing teams to explore sustainable sourcing and production methods that minimize environmental impact.
- Maintain detailed documentation of recipes, ingredient specifications, quality control processes, and regulatory compliance.
- Continuously enhance existing products and processes to improve quality, reduce costs, and increase efficiency, incorporating feedback from Sales and Culinary teams.
- Support Culinary Experience Managers and Sales in translating new product concepts into practical menu applications and trial materials for institutional customer demonstrations.
- Stay updated on industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices with a focus on institutional, food-service, and HORECA sectors through ongoing education and training.

Required Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, or a related field with 4 to 6 years of relevant experience.
- Alternatively, a postgraduate degree in a relevant discipline with 2 to 3 years of experience.

National Foods Limited is an equal opportunity employer, committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination based on age, color, origin, disability, race, religion, gender, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by law. The position is based at the Corporate Head Office in Karachi.