Process Manager

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced Food & Beverage Product Scale-Up & Commercialization Manager to take finalized products from R&D handover through pilot trials, manufacturing scale-up, packaging, testing, regulatory compliance, and commercial production.

This is not a formulation/R&D role. The candidate will work with finalized formulations and own the external execution required to make them commercially viable.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead scale-up of finalized food and beverage formulations from laboratory to pilot scale to commercial production.
• Identify and coordinate suitable pilot plants, co-manufacturers, bottlers and processing facilities.
• Plan and manage pilot and commercial manufacturing trials, including troubleshooting scale-up and processing issues.
• Source and coordinate packaging materials and packaging trials based on product and processing requirements.
• Identify and manage external laboratories for nutritional, microbiological, shelf-life and other required testing.
• Coordinate FSSAI/regulatory requirements, product documentation, labelling and compliance.
• Source, evaluate and manage external suppliers, manufacturers, laboratories and technical partners.
• Handle commercial discussions including quotations, costing, MOQ, timelines and negotiations.
• Own commercialization timelines and coordinate projects across R&D, manufacturing, packaging, testing and regulatory stakeholders.
• Build and maintain a strong external network of food manufacturers, packaging suppliers, laboratories and technical service providers.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Food Technology, Food Science, Food Engineering, Dairy Technology or a related discipline.
• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in food/beverage product scale-up, commercialization, manufacturing or technical project management.
• Demonstrated experience taking food or beverage products from lab stage to commercial production.
• Strong understanding of food processing, manufacturing, packaging and shelf-life principles.
• Working knowledge of FSSAI and food regulatory requirements.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and stakeholder-management skills.
• Strong commercial/business mindset with the ability to independently evaluate feasibility, cost and suppliers.
• Highly organized, proactive and capable of independently driving projects to completion.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience with RTD beverages, dairy/non-dairy beverages, syrups, concentrates or other liquid food products.
• Experience working with startups or fast-growing food businesses.
• Existing network of relevant manufacturers, bottlers, packaging suppliers and testing laboratories.
• Experience with processes such as pasteurization, hot-fill, UHT, retort or other thermal processing technologies.

Demonstrated Track Record

Applicants must provide details of at least 2–3 food/beverage products they have personally helped scale up or commercialize, including:

• Product/category
• Scale-up and commercial scale
• Their specific role and responsibilities
• Manufacturing facility/partner involved
• Packaging format
• Key scale-up challenges and how they were resolved
• Commercial outcome/status

Candidates with experience limited primarily to laboratory formulation/R&D, quality control, production supervision or regulatory documentation without demonstrated end-to-end product scale-up and commercialization experience will not be considered.

Note:

Location: On-site Full-time role at Khar West, Mumbai

Experience: 5+ years

Education: Food Technology / Food Science / Food Engineering / Dairy Technology or related field