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Current Openings

Senior Executive / Deputy Manager - NPD

Designation: SENIOR EXECUTIVE
Location: India UTTAR PRADESH Noida
Group: DS Group
Entity: Dharampal Satyapal Foods Limited
SBU: DS FOODS
Department: PRODUCT AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
Function: PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT LAB

Job Description:

Position: Deputy Manager / Senior executive – New Product Development (NPD)

Department: Research & Development (R&D) – Product & Process
Industry: FMCG – Confectionery
Experience: 4 – 6 Years
Location: Greater Noida

Job Summary

We are seeking a passionate and innovative NPD professional to drive the development of new confectionery products from concept to commercialization. The ideal candidate should have hands-on experience in product formulation, Pilot plant handling, process optimization, scale-up, and cross-functional project management within the confectionery or food industry.

Key Responsibilities

  • New product development projects for confectionery products including hard boiled Candy, chewy candy, Toffees, Jellies and related categories. 
  • Develop new formulations and optimize existing products to improve quality, cost, and consumer appeal. 
  • Conduct laboratory trials, pilot-scale trials, and commercial production trials. 
  • Collaborate with Marketing, Procurement, Manufacturing, Quality, Packaging, and Supply Chain teams to ensure successful product launches. 
  • Evaluate new ingredients, flavors, colors, functional ingredients, and packaging materials. 
  • Ensure compliance with food safety regulations, FSSAI standards, and internal quality requirements. 
  • Prepare product specifications, process documents, SOPs, and technical reports. 
  • Conduct shelf-life studies, sensory evaluations, and stability testing. 
  • Support cost optimization and value engineering initiatives without compromising product quality. 
  • Resolve technical challenges during commercialization and post-launch support. 
  • Stay updated on market trends, emerging technologies, competitor products, and consumer preferences. 
  • Coordinate with ingredient and packaging suppliers for innovation opportunities. 

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Food Technology, Food Science, Dairy Technology, Biotechnology, Nutrition science or a related field. 
  • 4–6 years of experience in New Product Development within the confectionery, chocolate, sugar confectionery, bakery, or FMCG food industry. 
  • Strong understanding of confectionery processing technologies and ingredients. 
  • Experience in product commercialization and scale-up. 
  • Knowledge of food safety systems, GMP, HACCP, and FSSAI regulations. 
  • Willingness to travel up to 20% of the time of product trial and launch.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office and technical documentation. 

Desired Skills

  • Product formulation and recipe development 
  • Confectionery processing technologies 
  • Project management 
  • Sensory evaluation 
  • Process optimization 
  • Cost reduction/value engineering 
  • Cross-functional collaboration 
  • Root cause analysis 
  • Analytical and problem-solving skills 
  • Strong communication and presentation skills 

Preferred Experience

  • Experience in candies, toffees, eclairs, hard-boiled candies, jellies, or sugar confectionery. 
  • Exposure to confectionery manufacturing lines. 
  • Knowledge of ingredient functionality, flavors, sweeteners, hydrocolloids, emulsifiers, and food additives. 

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

  • Successful launch of new products within agreed timelines. 
  • First-pass commercialization success rate. 
  • Product quality and consumer acceptance scores. 
  • Cost optimization achievements. 
  • Time-to-market reduction. 
  • Innovation pipeline contribution. 
  • Compliance with quality and regulatory standards. 

Competencies

  • Innovation mindset 
  • Consumer-centric thinking 
  • Attention to detail 
  • Leadership and ownership 
  • Collaboration and stakeholder management 
  • Decision-making under pressure 
  • Continuous improvement orientation