R&D Manager (Research and Development) – Leading Multinational Food & Beverage Group

Overview

A prominent multinational food and beverage corporation headquartered in North America is accelerating its expansion in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and seeks an experienced R&D Manager to spearhead the development of innovative products that succeed commercially on a large scale.

Key Responsibilities

This role involves end-to-end responsibility for innovation and new product development across diverse categories including beverages, pastries, bakery, and other food products. The Manager will lead all phases from initial concept and laboratory trials through sensory evaluation, feasibility analysis, industrial scale-up, and nationwide product rollout.

The position requires close collaboration with internal teams such as Culinary, Marketing, Supply Chain, Quality Assurance, Operations, and Finance to ensure launches meet established standards for flavor, quality, profitability, speed of service, and food safety.

A critical element is managing outsourced product development by selecting and integrating suitable suppliers and co-manufacturers. This includes briefing on detailed specifications, overseeing trial production and sample approval processes, and verifying that manufacturing facilities comply with quality and regulatory requirements. The Manager will coordinate with Procurement/Supply Chain to develop and maintain technical specifications and cost targets while fostering lasting supplier partnerships aimed at driving continuous innovation, improvement, and cost efficiency.

The role includes ownership of the innovation calendar and stage-gate process, facilitating cross-functional team progress through project milestones with clarity and agility. Feasibility studies covering cost analysis, equipment needs, shelf life, packaging solutions, and operational complexity are conducted prior to launch approval. Additionally, the Manager leads post-launch evaluations by analyzing sales data, customer feedback, and operational insights to refine future product development.

As the R&D function grows, the Manager will coach and mentor the team consisting of chefs, product developers, and coordinators, manage the R&D budget encompassing ingredient trials, sampling, supplier development, and equipment acquisition, and maintain the R&D kitchen and lab to meet stringent food safety standards.

Strong documentation practices are required, including comprehensive product files containing formulations, technical specifications, cost breakdowns, allergen information, and shelf-life details in coordination with Quality Assurance to validate packaging integrity and production readiness.

Candidate Profile

Ideal candidates will have demonstrated leadership in new product development within high-volume manufacturing settings, balancing creativity with structured processes, rapid execution, and commercial viability. This opportunity offers significant scope to contribute to a leading F&B group's ambitious growth in the region.

Keywords

R&D Manager, New Product Development (NPD), Product Innovation, Stage-Gate Process, Sensory Evaluation, Product Scale-Up, Recipe Formulation, Cost Analysis, Shelf Life Testing, Packaging Compliance, Consumer Insights, Cross-Functional Leadership, Food Safety, HACCP, Supplier Management, Category Management, Beverage and Bakery Product Development.