Food R&D Manager

Location: Ho Chi Minh
Department: Research & Development / Food Application & Innovation
Reports to: Director of Operations & Key Accounts
Company Overview:
Established in 2003, GroupG Asia Pacific is a dynamic group of companies headquartered in Singapore, with operations in Vietnam and international markets. GroupG provides end-to-end ingredient solutions for manufacturers in the food & nutrition industries.
Our services include market research, product concept development, formulation support, specialty ingredient supply, application development, OEM/ODM support, packaging innovation, and commercialization support.
To learn more about GroupG Asia Pacific, please visit: [protected info]
Job Summary
The Food R&D Manager is responsible for leading food application and product development activities to support GroupG's specialty ingredient business. This role focuses on developing prototypes, improving formulations, validating ingredient applications, supporting customer projects, and contributing to the commercialization of strategic product portfolios.
The role acts as a technical bridge between Sales/Business Development, Suppliers, Technical Project Management, Supply Chain, and Customers to ensure ingredient solutions are practical, commercially viable, and aligned with customer needs.
Responsibilities
1. Food Application & Product Development
● Develop food and nutrition prototypes using GroupG's specialty ingredients, additives, flavors, stabilizers, cultures, proteins, sweeteners, extracts, and other portfolio products.
● Create and optimize formulations for customer projects, internal concepts, supplier promotion, and market-driven innovation.
● Conduct lab-scale trials, sensory evaluation, stability checks, and application tests to validate ingredient performance.
● Improve existing formulations to enhance taste, texture, stability, cost efficiency, process suitability, and commercial feasibility.
● Prepare application notes, formulation guidelines, trial reports, and technical recommendations for internal and customer use.
2. Technical Support for Sales, BD & Key Accounts
● Work closely with Sales/Business Development teams to understand customer needs and translate them into technical solutions.
● Support customer meetings, product presentations, technical discussions, sample evaluations, pilot trials, and troubleshooting.
● Provide technical input to help Sales/BD position GroupG's ingredients and solutions effectively.
● Support key account projects from concept, prototype, trial, scale-up, to commercial launch.
● Follow up technical actions after customer meetings and provide clear next-step recommendations.
3. Supplier & Portfolio Development
● Collaborate with the suppliers to understand ingredient functionality, application potential, technical limitations, and market opportunities.
● Support new product evaluation and portfolio expansion together with Supply Chain, Technical Project Management, and Sales/BD teams.
● Develop demonstration concepts and prototypes for new ingredients, hero products, and strategic supplier portfolios.
● Provide technical feedback to suppliers based on customer trials, local market needs, and application performance.
● Participate in supplier training, product launch activities, and joint business development projects when required.
4. Project Management & Commercialization Support
● Plan and execute assigned R&D/application projects with clear objectives, timelines, responsibilities, and deliverables.
● Coordinate with Technical Project Management, Sales/BD, Suppliers, Supply Chain, and Customers to ensure smooth project execution.
● Monitor project progress, identify technical risks, and propose solutions to remove bottlenecks.
● Support scale-up from lab prototype to pilot trial and commercial production at customer or contract manufacturing sites.
● Ensure R&D outputs are practical, scalable, cost-aware, and aligned with commercial priorities.
5. Quality, Regulatory & Documentation Support
● Support the review of technical documents for ingredients, including Specification, COA, SDS/MSDS, Halal, Kosher, Non-GMO, Allergen, Origin, and other supplier documents.
● Coordinate with Regulatory, Supply Chain, and Suppliers to prepare technical information required for customer submission, import dossiers, product registration, or project approval.
● Ensure formulas and ingredient recommendations are screened against relevant food safety, labeling, and local regulatory requirements.
● Maintain proper records of formulations, trial results, sample codes, customer feedback, and technical documents.
6. Lab, Sample & Knowledge Management
● Manage R&D lab activities, sample preparation, raw material storage, application samples, and lab equipment.
● Ensure samples and prototypes are properly labeled, stored, tracked, and documented.
● Maintain confidentiality of customer formulas, supplier technical information, and internal R&D data.
● Ensure compliance with lab safety, hygiene, and internal documentation standards.
● Build and maintain a knowledge library for formulations, applications, ingredient functions, and troubleshooting cases for trial and commercial orders..
7. Team Leadership & Capability Building
● Lead, coach, and develop R&D/Application team members to improve technical capability and project execution.
● Allocate resources effectively to meet project priorities and business needs.
● Conduct internal technical training for Sales/BD and related teams to improve ingredient knowledge and solution-selling capability.
● Stay updated on food trends, ingredient innovation, processing technologies, and competitor products.
● Proactively propose new concepts and application ideas to support GroupG's growth strategy.