Product Developer- Sauces & Condiments - Muizenberg at Cape Herb & Spice

Key Functional Areas:

Product development:

• Work with other Libstar companies to develop tried and tested, commercially viable and sustainable products.
• Market research and concept development with sales & NPD departments to determine opportunities for products that can be developed by Libstar business units to meet export requirements.
• Recipe development and tastings with business units.
• Pitch preparation arranging mock up samples and marketing material.
• Execute supplier approval process (SQA).
• Manage product development process within given deadlines, ensure product conforms to country and customer specific regulations on product and packaging.
• All stages of the development process to be followed and documented meticulously.
• Ensure compliance to Cape Herb & Spice and relevant Libstar
• certifications – Audit prep and process to be executed.
• Effective execution of launches including factory implementation of factory trials and travel tests.
• Provide information and technical support to marketing, QA and sales teams to facilitate flawless launch.
• Specification generation oversight & maintenance.

Supplier liaison:

• Gather & map out capabilities and compliance of suppliers to international standards.
• Facilitate required growth to supply relevant markets – ensure sales team are equipped with full product knowledge.
• Match commercial opportunities with capabilities of suppliers and oversee development.
• Supplier interaction and assistance in sourcing of raw materials and packaging when required.
• Develop process & documentation to ensure relevance & compliance E.g. Specs, Legislated requirements, testing.
• Launch assistance to supplier on technical and process implementation.

Commercial interface:

• Identify gaps and opportunities in strategic markets.
• Work with sales to cost grocery products and deliver a commercially viable and competitive offering.
• Involvement in value engineering as required.
• Creation of pitch presentations & concepts on PowerPoint
• Gain supplier buy-in by painting commercial picture and size of the prize. Ensure targeted developments.
• Involvement in drawing up/maintenance of contracts.
• Ensure sales team are equipped with full product knowledge to drive growth

.Education and Required Knowledge:

• Either an equivalent of the below degree and 2 - 5 years’ experience or 5-10 years’ experience will be recognized:
• Excel Fluency – Intermediate level
• Excellent verbal and written communication in English
• Food Technology or Consumer Science
• Bsc Food Science
• Consumer Science

Advantageous experience in:

• Project Management
• CommercialBuying/ Sales
• Export experience in developments for export, including legislation

Personal Characteristics:

• Deadline driven
• Proactive and enthusiastic
• High attention to detail
• Ability to work in a high pressure and fast paced environment
• Ability to multi- task between multiple projects
• A creative thinker
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Optimistic solution finder
• Commercially minded
• Excellent communication skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• A passionate & knowledgeable foodie
• A methodical approach and adhere to procedure