Assistant Manager – NPD (Dairy Products)

Function: New Product Development / R&D / Product Development
Industry: Dairy / Food & FMCG
About the Role :
We are hiring an Assistant Manager – New Product Development (Dairy) to drive product development, commercialisation, and innovation across the Dairy category.
The role combines hands-on technical product development with commercial execution and requires experience across product formulation, trials, sensory evaluation, scale-up, vendor/co-manufacturer development, costing and product launches.
Key Responsibilities :
Drive end-to-end New Product Development (NPD) from concept development to commercial launch.
Develop and optimise dairy product formulations and recipes considering consumer preference, nutrition, quality and commercial viability.
Conduct product trials, sensory evaluation, technical validation and recipe optimisation.
Support pilot trials, scale-up and commercialisation of new products.
Conduct market research, consumer studies, competitor benchmarking and category/trend analysis.
Identify and develop ingredient suppliers, vendors and co-manufacturers.
Coordinate product specifications, trials, approvals, documentation and launch readiness.
Work cross-functionally with QA, Procurement, Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, Marketing and Growth.
Support existing products across production, quality, packaging and supply.
Work on product costing, margins, pricing and profitability.
Monitor product/category performance and identify opportunities for product, quality and cost improvement.
Independently manage multiple NPD projects and associated timelines.
What we are looking for :
Degree in Dairy Technology, Food Technology, Food Science or a closely related discipline.
2–5 years of relevant experience in NPD, Product Development, R&D, Production, Private Labelling or Category Management within Dairy, Food/FMCG, Dairy Manufacturing, Retail or relevant food consulting.
Strong preference for candidates with hands-on Dairy NPD / Product Development experience.
Understanding of dairy products, dairy processing, ingredients and food manufacturing.
Hands-on exposure to product formulation, recipe development, trials, sensory evaluation, scale-up and commercialisation.
Experience working with vendors, ingredient suppliers and/or co-manufacturers is desirable.
Understanding of product costing, margins, pricing and commercial viability will be advantageous.
Ability to coordinate cross-functional projects and take products from concept through commercialisation and launch.

Work arrangement
No