Senior Executive - NPD at Dharampal… · India

Senior executive – New Product Development (NPD)

Department: Research & Development (R&D) – Product & Process Industry: FMCG – Confectionery Experience: 3 – 8 Years Location: Greater Noida

Job Summary

We are seeking a passionate and innovative NPD professional to drive the development of new confectionery products from concept to commercialization. The ideal candidate should have hands-on experience in product formulation, Pilot plant handling, process optimization, scale-up, and cross-functional project management within the confectionery or food industry.

Key Responsibilities

• New product development projects for confectionery products including hard boiled Candy, chewy candy, Toffees, Jellies and related categories. 
• Develop new formulations and optimize existing products to improve quality, cost, and consumer appeal. 
• Conduct laboratory trials, pilot-scale trials, and commercial production trials. 
• Collaborate with Marketing, Procurement, Manufacturing, Quality, Packaging, and Supply Chain teams to ensure successful product launches. 
• Evaluate new ingredients, flavors, colors, functional ingredients, and packaging materials. 
• Ensure compliance with food safety regulations, FSSAI standards, and internal quality requirements. 
• Prepare product specifications, process documents, SOPs, and technical reports. 
• Conduct shelf-life studies, sensory evaluations, and stability testing. 
• Support cost optimization and value engineering initiatives without compromising product quality. 
• Resolve technical challenges during commercialization and post-launch support. 
• Stay updated on market trends, emerging technologies, competitor products, and consumer preferences. 
• Coordinate with ingredient and packaging suppliers for innovation opportunities. 

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Food Technology, Food Science, Dairy Technology, Biotechnology, Nutrition science or a related field. 
• 4–6 years of experience in New Product Development within the confectionery, chocolate, sugar confectionery, bakery, or FMCG food industry. 
• Strong understanding of confectionery processing technologies and ingredients. 
• Experience in product commercialization and scale-up. 
• Knowledge of food safety systems, GMP, HACCP, and FSSAI regulations. 
• Willingness to travel up to 20% of the time of product trial and launch.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and technical documentation. 

Desired Skills

• Product formulation and recipe development 
• Confectionery processing technologies 
• Project management 
• Sensory evaluation 
• Process optimization 
• Cost reduction/value engineering 
• Cross-functional collaboration 
• Root cause analysis 
• Analytical and problem-solving skills 
• Strong communication and presentation skills 

Preferred Experience

• Experience in candies, toffees, eclairs, hard-boiled candies, jellies, or sugar confectionery. 
• Exposure to confectionery manufacturing lines. 
• Knowledge of ingredient functionality, flavors, sweeteners, hydrocolloids, emulsifiers, and food additives. 

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Successful launch of new products within agreed timelines. 
• First-pass commercialization success rate. 
• Product quality and consumer acceptance scores. 
• Cost optimization achievements. 
• Time-to-market reduction. 
• Innovation pipeline contribution. 
• Compliance with quality and regulatory standards. 

Competencies

• Innovation mindset 
• Consumer-centric thinking 
• Attention to detail 
• Leadership and ownership 
• Collaboration and stakeholder management 
• Decision-making under pressure 
• Continuous improvement orientation