Group R&D Specialist – Category Lead

About the role

Promasidor is looking for experienced Group R&D Specialists to lead the end‑to‑end research and development agenda for its beverage, culinary, dairy and extrusion categories across African markets. The role reports to the Group Head of R&D and owns the innovation pipeline from consumer brief to commercial launch.

Key responsibilities

• Define and own a multi‑year R&D plan aligned with brand and commercial priorities, building a fully costed pipeline of new product, renovation and value‑engineering projects.
• Lead end‑to‑end new product development, including concept, formulation, lab and pilot trials, factory scale‑up, sensory and consumer validation, and commercial launch.
• Ensure all products meet regulatory and food‑safety standards (NAFDAC, SON, GSA, KEBS, FDB, etc.) and manage labeling, claims and shelf‑life validation.
• Partner with Marketing, Procurement, Operations and Engineering to translate consumer insights into technical concepts and secure ingredient qualification and factory readiness.
• Identify emerging technologies, ingredients and process improvements; maintain expert knowledge of category flavour systems.
• Lead, coach and develop the category R&D team across markets, setting objectives and building succession.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemistry, Nutrition or related field; Master’s preferred.
• 8–10 years progressive R&D experience in FMCG with strong specialization in the relevant category.
• Hands‑on experience in flavour development and product formulation for the specific category.
• Proven ability to lead small technical teams and manage cross‑functional projects.
• Strong project and stage‑gate discipline with a consumer‑ and commercial‑mindset.

Required skills

• Flavour development
• Product formulation
• Scale‑up processes
• Sensory evaluation
• Regulatory compliance (NAFDAC, SON, GSA, KEBS, FDB)