Product Developer (Fresh Produce) Full Time Job

Product Developer (Fresh Produce) – Paarl.

This position offers an excellent opportunity to join the dynamic team to assist in expanding our food product offering. You must be solution oriented with experience in fresh food, product development and supplier management.

The successful candidate must possess leadership qualities to be able to work in a cross-functional team and take ownership of their tasks and responsibilities. The role suits a highly motivated individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment and who can easily adapt to changing market and organisational requirements.

You must be passionate about your work to the point where it inspires others. An innovative mindset and an ability to adjust to change will deliver successful job outputs and resulting job satisfaction.

Requirements:

• BSc Consumer Science, BCom and/or a culinary qualification is mandatory
• At least 5 – 8 years’ food products development or related foods experience
• Strong culinary and food preparation skills as well as experience with food sourcing, preparation and handling
• A team player and results-driven individual
• Understanding of retail, food and lifestyle trends, as well as target market and range segmentation
• Understanding of food safety requirements and factory operations and ability to incorporate a product plan into supplier base; work closely as a team player with commercial and technical teams
• Understanding factory and food safety capabilities, opportunities and constraints
• Customer knowledge and understanding – ability to select, tier, cost engineer and cost manage product ranges
• Proven commercial aptitude – ability to understand and use financial indicators and price engineer products in line with commercial objectives
• Entrepreneurial ability to initiate and co-ordinate innovative and viable product ranges for our customer target
• Sound business acumen and emotional resilience
• Strong planning and project management skills
• Innovative, continuous improvement mindset
• Computer literate (MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Fluent in Afrikaans and English, with excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong presentation, communication and negotiation skills
• Understanding of packaging development and design processes
• Sustainability mindset
• Exceptional problem-solving and analytical skills
• Must be able to work under pressure
• Flexible with ability and willingness to travel

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Identify, analyse and interpret lifestyle, industry, retail and food trends to establish a product plan and category strategy
• Identify latest retail and food trends delivering strategic innovation and profitable sales growth
• Understand customer product needs, product inspiration and product satisfaction
• Execute and manage the product development process to ensure that product ranges are delivered according to our brand values of quality, freshness, innovation, inspiration, food safety and value
• Develop thriving supplier relationships to deliver mutual beneficial strategies
• Continually identify potential product upgrades, whilst setting and continuously improving the quality standards and customer satisfaction of the product ranges in collaboration with the technical team
• Initiate and manage the packaging development and design processes with customer facing messages, effective brand identity and range clarity
• Effective interpretation and understanding of customer research and customer focus group outcomes
• Ability to interpret and drive innovation strategy into a commercially viable product plan
• Supplier and farm supply product development, integration, coordination and evaluation