Beverage Research & Development Manager

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced and creative Beverage Research & Development Manager to lead the development, innovation, and improvement of our beverage products, including bubble tea, fruit tea, milk tea, specialty tea, and other tea-based beverages.

The successful candidate will be responsible for developing new beverage concepts, improving existing recipes, sourcing ingredients, conducting product testing, and ensuring consistent product quality across all outlets. This role requires strong beverage knowledge, creativity, technical expertise, and the ability to translate market trends into commercially viable products.

Responsibilities:

1. Beverage Product Development

• Develop innovative beverage recipes, including milk tea, fruit tea, fresh tea, specialty drinks, and seasonal beverages.

• Research and introduce new flavours, ingredients, toppings, and beverage concepts based on consumer preferences and market trends.

• Improve existing recipes to enhance taste, texture, appearance, consistency, and cost efficiency.

• Conduct product trials, taste tests, and sensory evaluations before launching new products.

• Standardise recipes, preparation methods, ingredient measurements, and product specifications.

2. Market Research & Product Innovation

• Monitor beverage industry trends, competitor offerings, consumer preferences, and emerging ingredients.

• Identify new product opportunities to strengthen brand positioning and increase sales.

• Collaborate with the Marketing and Operations teams to develop new product concepts, seasonal promotions, and limited-time offerings.

• Gather customer and outlet feedback to continuously improve products.

3. Ingredient Sourcing & Cost Management

• Research and evaluate tea leaves, milk, fruit ingredients, syrups, powders, toppings, and other beverage raw materials.

• Work with the Procurement team to identify suitable suppliers and assess ingredient quality, availability, and pricing.

• Conduct ingredient testing and evaluate alternative ingredients where necessary.

• Calculate recipe costs, monitor ingredient usage, and ensure new products meet the company's target gross margin.

4. Quality Control & Standardisation

• Establish and maintain beverage quality standards to ensure consistent taste and presentation across all outlets.

• Develop and update standard operating procedures (SOPs), recipe cards, preparation guidelines, and product specifications.

• Ensure compliance with applicable food safety, hygiene, labelling, and regulatory requirements.

• Investigate product quality issues and implement corrective actions where necessary.

• Conduct regular product reviews and support outlet teams in maintaining beverage standards.

5. Product Launch & Operations Support

• Coordinate product development timelines, testing, pilot launches, and nationwide rollouts.

• Work closely with Operations to ensure new products can be prepared efficiently in actual outlet conditions.

• Train outlet managers and beverage teams on new recipes, preparation techniques, and product standards.

• Evaluate equipment, preparation processes, and ingredient shelf life to support operational efficiency.

• Review post-launch performance and recommend improvements based on sales data and customer feedback.

6. Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Lead and manage the R&D team, including planning projects and prioritising development timelines.

• Coordinate with Marketing, Operations, Procurement, Quality Assurance, and senior management.

• Prepare product development reports, cost analyses, and recommendations for management review.

Requirements:

• Diploma or Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Food & Beverage Management, Culinary Arts, or a related discipline is preferred.

• Minimum 3–5 years of relevant experience in beverage R&D, product development, or the F&B industry.

• Prior experience in bubble tea, tea beverages, café drinks, beverage chains, or beverage manufacturing is highly preferred.

• Strong knowledge of tea varieties, tea extraction and brewing techniques, flavour profiling, milk tea formulation, fruit tea, and beverage ingredients.

• Experience in recipe development, sensory evaluation, product testing, and recipe standardisation.

• Good understanding of food safety, hygiene, ingredient handling, and quality control.

• Ability to calculate recipe costs, analyse ingredient costs, and develop commercially viable products.

• Strong project management, problem-solving, and communication skills.

• Creative, detail-oriented, and able to work independently in a fast-paced environment.

• Willingness to conduct product trials and visit outlets when required.