Senior R&D Consultant

We are looking for a Senior R&D Consultant who will provide high-level technical direction for a new food ingredient manufacturing project during the pre-operational stage. The consultant will guide product-track selection, review trial design, challenge technical assumptions, assess process and scale-up risks, and advise the internal team before pilot validation and plant commissioning. The role requires strong ingredient-processing judgment, export awareness, and the ability to translate development work into practical manufacturing decisions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic technical guidance for the pre-operational development of a new food ingredient manufacturing project.
• Advise on product-track selection, formulation strategy, and manufacturing feasibility to support project objectives.
• Review and evaluate trial designs, technical assumptions, and development plans to identify process and scale-up risks.
• Provide expert recommendations on food chemistry, ingredient functionality, process optimization, and product stability.
• Guide the internal team in preparing for pilot trials, plant validation, and commissioning activities.
• Support technical decision-making related to commercialization, export readiness, and manufacturing implementation.
• Mentor and collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure development activities align with practical manufacturing and industry best practices.

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Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Food Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or closely related field; advanced technical training or graduate-level food science experience is an advantage.
• Minimum of 15 years of relevant experience in food R&D, ingredient development, process development, food manufacturing, pilot-scale validation, or commercial scale up including frozen food processing and export-oriented manufacturing
• At least 8 years of senior technical leadership experience in food product development, manufacturing feasibility, commercialization, technical consulting, or plant-based ingredient system
• Strong technical command of food chemistry, including starch functionality, moisture control, water activity, pH, pigment stability, enzymatic browning, heat effects, viscosity, texture, ingredient interactions, and shelf-life behavior.
• Experience with puree, IQF, frozen, chilled, dried, sauce, filling, beverage base, bakery ingredient, food-service ingredient, or industrial ingredient formats is strongly preferred plus frozen fruit or vegetable ingredient, and frozen root crop ingredients
• Food export experience is strongly preferred, especially involving export-ready ingredient formats, technical documentation, cold-chain requirements, buyer specification, and B2B customer expectation
• Demonstrate experience advising on pilot trials, plant trials, process flow design, formulation strategy, specification, technical troubleshooting, and scale-up decisions
• Experience advising entrepreneurs, processors, exporters, or food manufacturing start-ups during pre-operational planning, commissioning, or early commercialization
• Experience reviewing or preparing technical data sheets, product specification, COA requirements, process validation records, sample dispatch protocols, and buyer-facing technical documentation