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

Food R&D Expert — KefiloAbout Kefilo
Kefilo is building a NutritionTech and personalised wellness transformation platform focused on functional nutrition, preventive wellness, gut health, fitness and lifestyle redesign.
We are combining food science, nutrition intelligence, technology, personalisation and intelligent food manufacturing to build products and systems where food becomes a measurable part of long-term health transformation.
Role
Food R&D Expert — Equity-Based Founding Role
Key Responsibilities
Food Product R&D Lead research and development of innovative, nutritious and functional food products aligned with Kefilo's wellness and transformation programs.
Product Formulation Develop and optimise formulations based on nutritional objectives, ingredients, taste, texture, functionality, cost and scalability.
Functional & Therapeutic Nutrition Work on products focused on areas such as gut health, metabolic wellness, high-protein nutrition, high-fibre nutrition and other targeted wellness requirements.
Ingredient Research Identify and evaluate emerging ingredients, functional ingredients, natural compounds, processing technologies and food innovations relevant to Kefilo.
Product Testing & Validation Design and conduct laboratory, kitchen and pilot trials, including sensory evaluation, nutritional analysis, stability and performance testing.
Standardisation Convert successful R&D concepts into standardised formulations, recipes, ingredient specifications, process parameters, quality standards and SOPs.
Nutrition Intelligence Integration Work with the Nutrition Intelligence team to structure food, ingredient, nutrient and product data that can support personalised nutrition recommendations.
Food Processing & Scale-Up Collaborate with Food Processing, Food Science and Smart Kitchen teams to move products from laboratory/kitchen trials to scalable commercial production.
Shelf-Life, Packaging & Quality Support shelf-life studies, packaging selection, storage conditions, food safety, quality control and product stability.
Cost & Commercialisation Work with the Product and Business teams on formulation cost, ingredient economics, production feasibility, pricing and commercial viability.
R&D Network & Collaborations Build relationships with food research laboratories, universities, testing facilities, ingredient companies and technology partners for advanced R&D and validation.
Innovation & IP Identify proprietary formulations, processes, technologies and product concepts that can create defensible intellectual property for Kefilo.
Ideal Candidate
Background in Food Science, Food Technology, Food Chemistry, Nutrition, Biotechnology or a related field
Experience in food product development and R&D
Strong understanding of formulation, ingredients, food processing and product testing
Experience with functional foods, nutrition products, FMCG, nutraceuticals or related areas is preferred
Ability to take a product from concept → formulation → trials → validation → standardisation → scale-up
Strong analytical and experimental approach
Comfortable working with an early-stage startup and multidisciplinary founding team
Entrepreneurial mindset with strong ownership and execution ability
Engagement
Equity-based founding role
No fixed salary at the current stage
Part-time: approximately 20–25 hours/week
Remote / hybrid
Equity based on contribution, responsibility and long-term commitment
5-year vesting structure for core founding members
Fixed compensation to be introduced after fundraising and revenue stabilisation
Key Outcome
Build a structured Food R&D system for Kefilo that continuously develops, validates and standardises innovative, functional and personalised nutrition products — from research and formulation to scalable commercial production.
Skills: food science,processing,food processing,nutrition

Work arrangement
Yes