Beverage Development Manager

🌟 We're Hiring: Beverage Development Manager📍 Location: United Arab Emirates (Remote)🕒 Employment Type: Full-Time💼 Experience Level: Mid-Level to Senior🌐 Work Arrangement: Fully RemoteAbout UsWe are an innovation-driven food and beverage organization committed to creating high-quality, consumer-focused beverage products through science, creativity, and sustainable practices. Our distributed teams collaborate across Research & Development, Product Innovation, Food Science, Quality Assurance, Regulatory Affairs, Manufacturing, Procurement, Supply Chain, Marketing, Sales, and Executive Leadership to develop beverages that meet evolving consumer preferences while maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety.The RoleWe are seeking an experienced Beverage Development Manager to lead beverage innovation, product development, formulation, and commercialization initiatives. The ideal candidate will oversee beverage research, recipe development, sensory evaluation, regulatory compliance, manufacturing scale-up, and cross-functional collaboration while delivering innovative products that support business growth and customer satisfaction.Key ResponsibilitiesDevelop and implement beverage innovation strategies, product development roadmaps, and formulation frameworks aligned with organizational objectives and market trends.Lead end-to-end beverage development projects from concept generation, formulation, prototyping, pilot production, validation, commercialization, and post-launch evaluation.Collaborate with Research & Development, Food Science, Quality Assurance, Regulatory Affairs, Manufacturing, Procurement, Supply Chain, Marketing, Sales, and Executive Leadership to deliver successful beverage innovations.Develop and optimize formulations for carbonated beverages, juices, dairy beverages, plant-based drinks, functional beverages, energy drinks, ready-to-drink (RTD) products, coffee, tea, flavored water, and other beverage categories as applicable.Evaluate ingredients, flavor systems, sweeteners, stabilizers, preservatives, colors, nutritional components, and packaging compatibility to ensure product quality and performance.Conduct laboratory trials, pilot plant testing, sensory evaluations, shelf-life studies, stability assessments, and product performance analyses.Ensure compliance with UAE food regulations, GCC standards, international food safety requirements, labeling regulations, HACCP principles, and organizational quality standards.Coordinate manufacturing scale-up, process validation, technology transfer, production optimization, and commercial launch activities with manufacturing facilities.Partner with Procurement and Supply Chain teams to identify ingredient suppliers, evaluate raw materials, manage cost optimization initiatives, and strengthen supplier relationships.Monitor beverage market trends, consumer insights, competitor products, emerging technologies, and innovation opportunities to support strategic product development.Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) including product development cycle time, formulation success rate, commercialization success, sensory performance, quality compliance, cost optimization, product profitability, consumer acceptance, and innovation pipeline performance.Conduct product benchmarking, ingredient evaluations, process improvement initiatives, risk assessments, root cause analyses, and continuous improvement programs.Manage beverage development budgets, laboratory resources, pilot plant operations, external research partners, ingredient suppliers, testing laboratories, and strategic innovation projects.Drive digital transformation through artificial intelligence (AI)-powered formulation optimization, predictive product analytics, digital sensory evaluation, laboratory automation, workflow automation, and business intelligence solutions.Utilize SAP, Oracle, Microsoft 365, Power BI, Tableau, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems, Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), formulation software, statistical analysis tools, and product development platforms to optimize innovation and generate actionable insights.Prepare executive presentations, product development reports, commercialization updates, technical documentation, regulatory submissions, innovation roadmaps, and strategic recommendations for senior leadership.Lead, mentor, and develop food scientists, beverage technologists, product developers, laboratory technicians, and cross-functional teams while fostering a culture of innovation, scientific excellence, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.RequirementsBachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Beverage Technology, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Nutrition, Microbiology, Biotechnology, or a related field.Master's degree in Food Science, Beverage Science, Product Development, Business Administration (MBA), or a related discipline is highly advantageous.Professional certifications in HACCP, Food Safety, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, Lean Six Sigma, Project Management Professional (PMP), or equivalent are preferred.Minimum 5 years of experience in beverage development, food product development, formulation, food manufacturing, research and development, or related roles.At least 2 years of experience managing beverage innovation projects, product development teams, laboratory operations, or commercialization programs preferred.Strong understanding of beverage formulation, ingredient functionality, food chemistry, sensory science, microbiology, manufacturing processes, regulatory compliance, quality management, and product commercialization.Experience with SAP, Oracle, PLM systems, LIMS platforms, Microsoft Office Suite, Power BI, Tableau, formulation software, statistical analysis tools, and laboratory technologies.Familiarity with AI-powered formulation platforms, predictive food analytics, digital laboratory systems, smart manufacturing technologies, automated product development workflows, and advanced sensory analytics is highly advantageous.Strong leadership, communication, stakeholder management, scientific analysis, project management, budgeting, organizational, and problem-solving skills.Ability to manage multiple beverage development initiatives while balancing innovation, product quality, regulatory requirements, manufacturing capabilities, budgets, timelines, and business objectives.Ability to work effectively in a remote environment with distributed R&D teams, manufacturing partners, suppliers, regulatory agencies, executives, and global stakeholders, with occasional travel for pilot trials, factory validations, supplier visits, industry exhibitions, and strategic planning sessions as required.What We OfferFully remote work arrangement with flexible collaboration across global research, innovation, and product development teams.Competitive compensation package with performance-based incentives.Comprehensive health and wellness benefits.Professional development and product innovation leadership growth opportunities.Exposure to AI-powered food innovation technologies, smart laboratory platforms, digital product development tools, and next-generation beverage manufacturing solutions.Collaborative culture focused on innovation, quality, sustainability, accountability, and continuous improvement.Opportunity to shape the future of beverages by developing innovative, high-quality products that delight consumers and drive sustainable business growth.