Fresh Food Field Specialist at Sasol

Purpose of Job

• To drive strategic growth within the Convenience Retail portfolio by leading product innovation, supplier management, and quality assurance. The role focuses on delivering commercially viable food solutions through effective new product development (NPD), strong supplier partnerships, and strict adherence to food safety standards.

Key Accountabilities

• Implement and execute strategic objectives aligned to the Convenience Retail business.
• Develop new product concepts to penetrate existing and new markets.
• Monitor local and international trends, as well as competitor activity, and translate insights into actionable plans.
• Drive turnover and profitability through range reviews and product revitalisation initiatives.
• Support category strategies through effective product sourcing and supplier selection.
• Conduct category performance analysis and provide actionable insights to improve performance.
• Lead the end-to-end NPD process from concept through to launch.
• Conduct product, packaging, and travel testing, including validation of cooking instructions. Perform comparative benchmarking against competitor products.
• Arrange and approve mock-up samples and final packaging.
• Develop and approve packaging specifications and artwork in collaboration with design agencies and printers.
• Ensure successful and consistent roll-out of new products across the retail network in line with segmentation.
• Source, evaluate, and onboard suppliers in line with business and category requirements.
• Ensure all suppliers comply with food safety regulations and agreed standards. Establish and enforce food safety processes in line with South African regulations and standards.
• Ensure strict adherence to food safety standards across all products and suppliers.
• Conduct weekly quality control checks on private label products.
• Oversee routine microbiological testing programmes.
• Manage and resolve product-related customer complaints
• Ensure effective and seamless roll-out of new products into stores.
• Conduct regular visits to retail stores to monitor execution and compliance.
• Support the allocation of equipment based on product range and operational requirements.
• Align cross-functional teams to ensure efficient execution of initiatives.

 Results Management:

Bi-weekly performance meetings with Food Technology Development regarding:

• Sites and supplier visit reports.
• Operational issues
• Presentations
• Projects update

Formal Education

• University Bachelor’s Degree in Food Technology/Food Science/Biotechnology/Food Consumer Science
• Drivers licence

Min Experience

• Min 3-5 relevant years experience in manufacturing industry.
• Experience working with Retail and/or Convenience Retail an advantage.
• The role requires specific experience in food related fields in food/franchise industry as well as a track record of experience in convenience foods/baked products/ hot and cold beverages.