Group Manager - Product Development Dairy

About the Role

This leadership position at Britannia Industries Limited is based at the R&D Center in Ranjangaon, Pune, focused on overseeing the development and commercialization of dairy product innovations. The role involves cross-functional collaboration with internal stakeholders such as VP R&D and Quality, heads and managers across various departments including SRA, Packaging, CQA, Legal, Nutrition Science, Dairy Business, Marketing, Operations, Human Resources, Purchasing, as well as external partners such as ingredient and equipment suppliers, food legislation experts, academic institutions, technology experts, and consultants.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of various dairy products including fresh and long-life neutral and fermented dairy drinks, spoonable and stirred yoghurts, natural and processed cheese, dairy whitener, and fat-rich dairy items.
• Collaborate with business teams to develop and launch new products on agreed timelines, including disruptive innovations that can create competitive advantages and establish future product pipelines.
• Establish and maintain partnerships with vendors and business partners to enhance product development efforts.
• Coordinate with co-packers for successful product commercialization.
• Maintain a strong understanding of milk production and raw milk quality standards applicable in both Indian and international markets.
• Assess process technologies and formulations to optimize value, improve margins without compromising on quality or consumer acceptance, and implement novel ingredients to reduce capital expenditure.
• Develop and maintain technology transfer documentation including dockets, manuals, and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Ensure compliance with claims and safety risk assessments to prevent business disruptions.
• Drive capability building within the product development team through training, coaching, and effective team management.
• Oversee coordination and commissioning of dairy pilot plant facilities to support innovation initiatives.

Education and Experience

• Master's degree in Dairy Science is required.
• 12 to 15 years of professional experience in dairy product development and scale-up within the industry.

Desired Competencies

Soft Skills

• Strong collaboration and influence abilities.
• Urgency and discipline to meet deadlines.
• Effective team building and leadership.

Functional Skills

• Expertise in project management.
• Proficiency in change management.
• Experience with product commercialization processes.