Development & Research Job in Kenya

Research & Development Manager
Department: Research & Development
Reporting to: Chairman and Sales & Marketing Director

Responsibilities

·         Manage, communicate and reinforce organizational and departmental initiatives to the R&D department to ensure a consistent message and targeted objectives are achieved.

·         Develops and executes R&D project timelines and deliverables.
·         Creates new prototypes for R&D initiatives, including formulation, raw material sourcing, packaging development and costing.
·         Designs and executes experiments to meet project objectives.
·         Work with customers to deliver new products that meet customer needs in a cost-effective manner and with formulations that can be processed in the existing operation.
·         Establish and leverage contacts and connections with existing and potential new customers in the food sectors for commercialization of new products.
·         Monitors marketplace for new trends, products, and/or flavors and competitor products and development activities.
·         Plans, coordinates and executes production tests to successfully meet project objectives.
·         Accurately records, analyzes and reports data to meet project objectives.
·         Packaging development.
·         Develops product specifications and parameters for all new products (SOPs, HACCP plans, risk analysis and costings).
·         Coordinates 3rd party laboratory testing and reports results.
·         Conducts and analyses internal and external sensory evaluations.

·         Manages R&D and sensory evaluation workspaces and R&D sample area.
·         Contributes to development and management of R&D budget.
·         Generates all finished product nutritional panel information and ingredient statements.
·         Adheres to GMP’s, Standard Operating Procedures, and Safety Regulations consistently.
·         Ensure compliance with plant safety standards and with applicable regulatory requirements while following the company’s Good Manufacturing Processes.

Qualifications

·         BSc or MSc degree in Food Science, Food Technology or related field required.
·         Minimum 5 years’ related work experience in product and packaging development
·         Expertise in product development and new product innovation, with extensive Product Development/Food Science discipline
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:
·         Excellent knowledge of HACCP, ISO 22000 and its application in food industry
·         Knowledge of KEBS, US FDA and UK FSA regulations for the development of product labels.
·         Strong passion for food and the drive to develop this passion throughout the organization
·         Customer focused expertise in the snacks and spices industry
·         Knowledge of western and ethnic snack foods and spices and the application of spices in cooking essential
·         Strong sensory evaluation and analysis skills
·         Prior experience in facilitation of group training desired
·         Strategic decision-making approach to business interests
·         High collaboration and project management skills
·         Strong judgement and decision making skills
·         Highly organized with a strong focus on detail and accuracy with the ability to thrive in a complex, high demand, evolving environment, requiring quick responsiveness; must be able to handle multiple priorities while maintaining focus on the bottom line
·         Must demonstrate a high degree of written and verbal skills and have excellent organization and presentation skills
·         Work effectively as an individual with minimal supervision or as a team member as required
·         Must possess a workable knowledge of MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel
How to Apply
Please send in your CV to wandia@primepersonnel.com, with “Research & Development Manager” on the subject line.