Food Science R&D Officer (Part-time, Equity only)

Food Science R&D OfficerEquity-Based Founding Role | KefiloAbout Kefilo
Kefilo is a NutritionTech company building personalised nutrition and wellness transformation systems using functional nutrition, food science, technology, data and intelligent food manufacturing.
We are building a Nutrition Intelligence Engine and a scalable food R&D and production ecosystem focused on personalised, functional and transformation-oriented nutrition products.
Role Overview
We are looking for a Food Science R&D Officer to lead food research, formulation development, product trials, testing and standardisation.
The role will be responsible for converting nutrition and product concepts into scientifically validated, scalable and commercially viable food products and processes.
Key Responsibilities1. Food Product R&D
Develop functional, nutritious and transformation-focused food products.
Convert nutrition requirements into practical food formulations.
Research ingredients, functional compounds and emerging food technologies.
Develop products aligned with specific nutritional and wellness objectives.
Formulation & Optimisation
Create and optimise recipes and formulations.
Define ingredient quantities, ratios, nutritional targets and product specifications.
Conduct multiple formulation trials and optimise taste, texture, nutrition, cost and scalability.
Explore high-protein, high-fibre, gut-friendly and functional food formulations.
R&D Testing & Validation
Plan and conduct laboratory and kitchen-level product trials.
Evaluate nutritional composition, sensory characteristics, stability and product quality.
Coordinate nutritional, microbiological, shelf-life and other relevant testing.
Analyse trial results and continuously improve formulations.
Standardisation
Convert successful formulations into standardised recipes and specifications.
Develop formulation sheets, ingredient specifications, process parameters and quality standards.
Establish repeatable production methods for consistent product quality.
Document R&D experiments, results and learnings.
Food Processing & Manufacturing Collaboration
Work with Food Processing Experts and Kitchen/Manufacturing teams.
Identify suitable processing methods, equipment and production workflows.
Evaluate the impact of processing on nutrients, proteins, fibres and functional ingredients.
Support scale-up from laboratory and pilot trials to commercial production.
Nutrition Intelligence Integration
Work with Nutritionists and Data Scientists to translate nutritional requirements into product specifications.
Create structured food and ingredient data for the Nutrition Intelligence Engine.
Define nutritional attributes, ingredient characteristics and functional properties.
Support development of personalised food recommendations and product combinations.
Food Safety & Quality
Establish appropriate food safety and quality parameters for R&D products.
Support shelf-life, storage, packaging and stability studies.
Identify critical quality and safety parameters during product development.
Ensure formulations and processes are suitable for compliant commercial production.
Innovation & IP
Research emerging food technologies, ingredients, processing techniques and functional food innovations.
Identify opportunities for proprietary formulations and processes.
Maintain R&D documentation for potential patents, IP and technology development.
Build relationships with food laboratories, universities, researchers and testing facilities.
Ideal Candidate
Degree/Master's in Food Science, Food Technology, Food Engineering, Nutrition Science or a related field.
Experience in food product development, formulation or R&D.
Strong understanding of food ingredients, processing, nutrition and food chemistry.
Experience conducting product trials and formulation optimisation.
Understanding of food safety, quality control and shelf-life testing.
Ability to work with laboratories, food manufacturers and R&D institutions.
Strong analytical, experimental and documentation skills.
Interest in functional foods, NutritionTech, personalised nutrition and intelligent food manufacturing is preferred.
Engagement
Equity-based founding position.
Part-time contribution: approximately 20–25 hours/week.
Remote/hybrid engagement.
No fixed salary at the current stage.
Fixed compensation will be introduced after funding and revenue stabilisation.
Equity will be determined based on expertise, contribution, responsibility, commitment and long-term ownership.
Core founding members will follow a 5-year vesting structure.
Key Outcome
Build a structured Food Science R&D system at Kefilo that can repeatedly develop, validate, standardise and scale innovative functional nutrition products from concept and formulation through testing and commercial production.
Skills: food science,manufacturing,processing

Work arrangement
Yes