Fresh Foods Product Developer at Shoprite Group of Companies

Purpose of the Job    

• The primary objective of this position is to contribute to the development of various categories within the Fresh Foods department. These categories encompass a wide range, including but not limited to ready-to-heat convenience meals, seafood, and ready-to-eat meals.
• Responsibilities encompass overseeing recipe development, coordinating factory trials, drafting specifications and costings, sourcing packaging materials, negotiating costs, and overseeing product launches.
• In addition to spearheading new product development initiatives, this role involves continuous research and competitor analysis to gain insights into our customers' preferences regarding fresh food offerings. 

Job Objectives    

• Engage actively in delivering innovative Fresh Foods products, ensuring they drive innovation, enhance core growth, maintain consistent high quality, provide value for money, and ultimately surpass our customers' expectations.
• Ensure alignment with the overarching product development process within Fresh Foods, ensuring that product ranges are developed in accordance with agreed-upon product direction while adhering to brand values.
• Take charge of and support the product development process across all aspects, including recipe development, conducting factory trials (which requires traveling), drafting specifications and costing, packaging, negotiating costs with buyers, and product launches. 
• Conduct continuous product, consumer, and competitor research, providing input and implementing various supplier strategies, including reformulating existing products for enhancement.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams in commercial, technology, and planning to launch competitive and profitable ranges. 
• Provide essential inputs for packaging development requirements, collaborating with the Packaging and Marketing Department on concepts, packaging, and the new product development process.
• Collaborate with the technical team to establish and continuously enhance quality standards and technical product specifications through local and international benchmarking to ensure compliance. 
• Foster and enhance the relationship with the production team to uphold quality standards, internal systems, process flows, and traceability from raw product receipt through production to finished goods.
• Cultivate sustainable, mutually beneficial long-term relationships with suppliers to acquire the best products and inputs. 
• Interface with the Quality Assurance Department regarding GMP, HACCP, ISO standards, specifications, customer complaints, and other quality matters. 
• Offer ongoing factory support to address any product-related technical challenges and improve production processes.

Qualifications    

• Qualification at a Culinary School (preferred) or BSc - Consumer/Food Science or BTech - Food Technology and/or other relevant Nutritional Sciences, Dietetics and Culinary related or equivalent 

Experience    

• +2 years’ experience in a similar role (Product Development) 
• Development experience within the mentioned categories will be advantageous.

Including experience and exposure:

• 2-3 years Product Development in a foods FMCG manufacturing / production environment preferably in fresh foods.
• 1-2 years exposure to developing food products from inception, through production to the launching stage, improving new and existing products (highly advantageous) 

Knowledge and Skills    

• Computer Literacy.

Closing Date    

• 2026/03/25