R D Manager

Location: Sadat City, Egypt — On‑site (Factory & Pilot Plant)

Company: [Elvan Gıda – Egypt Factory]*
Department: Research & Development (R&D)
Reports to: Manufacturing Director
Direct Reports: Product Developers, Food Technologists, Packaging Engineer, Lab Analysts, Documentation/Specs Coordinator
Work Model: On‑site; pilot trials on shifts when needed; limited travel to suppliers/co‑manufacturers

Role Purpose

• Lead the product & process innovation agenda for confectionery/biscuits/cakes/chocolate and fillings, from concept to industrialization. Own the specifications, compliance and performance of formulas and processes, delivering safe, high‑quality, cost‑effective products on time and in full, while enabling continuous improvement and margin expansion.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategy & Pipeline
• Build and own the NPD/EPD pipeline (stage‑gate) aligned with category strategy and commercial priorities (export, US/MENA/EU customers).
• Translate consumer & customer briefs into technical product charters (target cost, sensory, shelf‑life, claims, packaging, regulatory).
• Maintain a 12‑ to 24‑month R&D roadmap with resource/load balancing and milestone governance.
• Product & Process Development
• Formulate across candies/toffees/chews, biscuits & cakes, chocolate/enrobing, bake‑stable fillings, caramelized spreads, and marshmallow/aerated systems.
• Engineer aw/°Brix/DE/viscosity/rheology (Casson) to meet texture, flow, and machinability requirements (depositors, enrobers, cooling tunnels, flow‑wrappers, VFFS).
• Optimize sugar/fat systems (sucrose, glucose/fructose syrups, polyols, fibers, cocoa butter/palm, laurics), emulsifiers, hydrocolloids and enzymes.
• Scale from bench → pilot → plant; create process windows (temperature/time/shear/cooling curves) and standard work.
• Partner with Maintenance/Production to validate runnability, changeover (SMED) impacts, yields and OEE at launch.
• Packaging & Shelf‑life
• Define primary/secondary packaging with barrier targets (WVTR/OTR) and sealing performance; qualify suppliers.
• Design and execute shelf‑life protocols (real‑time & accelerated), shipping simulations (incl. 2‑month sea freight), and storage abuse tests for hot climates.
• Own product stability (fat bloom, moisture migration, staling), rework rules and label/grammage controls.
• Compliance & Specifications
• Own master specifications: RM/PM, BOMs, finished product specs, CoA limits, test methods, and tolerances.
• Ensure regulatory & label compliance for Egypt/GCC/EU/US (nutrition facts, claims, allergens, Halal).
• Govern change control, artwork approval, and traceability with QA; support audits (FSSC 22000, ISO 22000, ISO 45001, customer).
• Cost, Value & Sustainability
• Deliver cost‑reduction reformulations (alt. sweeteners, oils/fats, flavors) without compromising quality.
• Qualify second sources and new suppliers; run DOE/SPC to lock specs with capability (Cp/Cpk).
• Support sustainability goals (e.g., RSPO, cocoa programs, clean label, removal of banned colors).
• People, Lab & Governance
• Lead and coach the R&D team; build competency matrices and training plans.
• Maintain lab & pilot equipment (rheometer/viscometer, aW meter, texture/color analysis, ovens/depositors/enrobers).
• Run weekly gate reviews; publish dashboards and technical dossiers; protect know‑how and IP/NDAs.
• Authority
• Approve formulas/specs and trial sign‑offs; authorize hold/quarantine with QA for spec deviations.
• Approve rework rules and process exceptions; co‑sign artwork and label claims with QA/Regulatory.
• Initiate CAPA for R&D‑related non‑conformities; stop launches that miss critical gates.

KPIs

• On‑time, In‑Full Launch (OTIF‑L) ≥ 95%
• First‑Time‑Right (FTR) ≥ 90% at industrial trials
• Margin uplift / unit COGS reduction vs. baseline
• Spec & artwork right‑first‑time ≥ 98%
• Shelf‑life pass rate ≥ 95% (accelerated & real‑time)
• CONQ (Cost of Non‑Quality) reduction; customer complaint rate (formulation root‑cause) trending down