Senior Product Development & Research Officer

About the role

The Senior Product Development & Research Officer leads the creation, testing and commercialisation of new cashew products while continuously improving existing lines to meet customer expectations, food safety standards and business goals. The role works closely with Production, QA, Procurement, Sales and Marketing to turn ideas into market‑ready products.

Key responsibilities

• Develop innovative cashew products from concept through pilot and commercial production, including premium and value‑added lines.
• Improve existing products by enhancing taste, texture, appearance, nutrition and shelf life.
• Research global food trends, benchmark competitors and identify new ingredients, packaging materials and processing technologies.
• Plan and execute laboratory and production trials, conduct sensory evaluations and analyse stability data.
• Support manufacturing during pilot runs, troubleshoot quality issues and optimise production efficiency and cost.
• Prepare technical documentation, SOPs and ensure compliance with GMP, HACCP and food safety regulations.
• Coordinate cross‑functional teams, train production staff on new formulations and present progress to management.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Food Engineering, Nutrition, Agricultural Science or related field.
• 3–5 years of experience in food product development, manufacturing or R&D, preferably in snack foods, nuts or related sectors.
• Strong analytical thinking, attention to detail and proactive problem‑solving attitude.
• Good written and verbal communication in English; Khmer is a plus.

Required skills

• Food formulation and recipe development
• Shelf‑life testing and sensory evaluation
• Food processing technology and ingredient functionality
• Packaging evaluation
• GMP, HACCP and food safety compliance
• Quality assurance and food manufacturing knowledge
• New product development (NPD) processes
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)