Senior Product Developer (Food & Beverage)

About AMACHA:
AMACHA is a Singapore-grown modern wellness brand on a mission to make traditional wellness part of modern everyday life. Rooted in traditional Chinese herbal ingredients and Asian wellness culture, we reimagine familiar flavours and recipes into contemporary beverages, gelato and other food experiences.

As we continue expanding our retail presence in Singapore and exploring new markets overseas, we are looking for an experienced and passionate Senior Product Developer to strengthen our research and development capabilities.

Job Overview:
We are looking for a creative, hands-on and commercially minded Senior Product Developer to drive the development, improvement and commercialization of new food and beverage products.

Beyond developing recipes, you will take ownership of ensuring that products meet customer expectations, achieve commercial objectives and can be consistently executed across our growing network of retail outlets.

We are looking for someone who is naturally curious, proactively identifies opportunities and independently drives projects from concept to completion.

Success in this role is measured not simply by the number of products developed, but by the quality, commercial viability and measurable improvements those products deliver.

Key Responsibilities:

1. New Product Development & Innovation

• Develop and formulate new beverages, including herbal teas, milk-based drinks, speciality beverages and seasonal offerings.
• Explore opportunities in complementary product categories such as gelato, desserts, bakery products and other wellness-inspired food concepts.
• Translate product briefs and concepts into prototypes, tested formulations and commercially viable products.• Conduct recipe trials, sensory evaluations, taste testing and product refinements.
• Proactively research and propose innovative product concepts aligned with AMACHA's brand direction and customer preferences.
• Manage assigned product development projects from initial concept through commercial launch readiness.

2. Existing Product Improvement & Optimisation
• Continuously evaluate and improve existing products based on customer feedback, sales performance and operational requirements.
• Enhance product taste, texture, consistency, stability and overall quality.
• Troubleshoot formulation challenges involving herbal ingredients, dairy, plant-based milk and other food components.
• Improve preparation processes to ensure consistent execution across multiple retail outlets.
• Identify opportunities to simplify recipes, improve efficiency and reduce product wastage without compromising quality.

3. Ingredient Research & Development
• Research new ingredients, flavour combinations, food technologies and preparation techniques.
• Explore contemporary applications of traditional Chinese herbs, botanical ingredients and Asian wellness-inspired recipes.
• Understand ingredient functionality, compatibility, stability and sensory characteristics.
• Work with ingredient suppliers, manufacturers and external consultants to evaluate new formulations and production solutions.
• Conduct competitor benchmarking and stay informed about emerging trends in beverages, desserts, functional-inspired food and the wider F&B industry.

4. Product Costing & Commercial Feasibility
• Prepare accurate recipe costings, ingredient specifications and product development reports.
• Evaluate new products based on ingredient costs, gross margins, operational complexity and scalability.
• Identify alternative ingredients or formulations to improve product costs without compromising taste or quality.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain to evaluate ingredient availability, sourcing reliability and supplier alternatives.
• Recommend commercially viable solutions that support AMACHA's business objectives.

5. R&D Documentation, Quality & Compliance
• Develop and maintain standardised recipes, product specifications, costing sheets and preparation SOPs.
• Maintain organised records of product trials, testing results and formulation changes.
• Coordinate shelf-life, stability, nutritional and other relevant laboratory testing where required.
• Ensure product formulations and documentation support applicable food safety, labelling and regulatory requirements.
• Support product quality investigations and corrective improvements when necessary.

6. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Product Launches
• Work closely with Operations, Marketing and Supply Chain to support successful product launches.
• Conduct product trials with retail teams to assess preparation feasibility, consistency and customer acceptance.
• Provide technical guidance and training materials for new product introductions.
• Coordinate with external suppliers, manufacturers and consultants on product development projects.
• Review post-launch feedback and product performance to identify opportunities for further improvement.

7. Product Performance & Continuous Improvement
• Establish measurable success criteria for new product developments and improvements, including customer acceptance, product quality, cost efficiency and operational feasibility.
• Monitor product performance after launch in collaboration with Operations and Marketing.
• Analyse customer feedback, product sales data and operational challenges to identify areas for improvement.
• Take ownership of investigating underperforming products and recommending corrective actions.
• Follow through on product improvements to ensure that intended outcomes are achieved, rather than simply completing development tasks.
• Proactively communicate project progress, challenges, findings and recommendations to management.

Job Requirements:
• Diploma or Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Culinary Arts, Nutrition or a related discipline. Candidates with equivalent relevant industry experience are welcome.
• Preferably 3 years or more of relevant experience in food or beverage product development, R&D or a related field.• Strong hands-on experience in recipe formulation, ingredient functionality, sensory evaluation and product testing.
• Experience developing products for multi-outlet F&B chains, beverage brands, food manufacturers or FMCG companies is highly advantageous.
• Good understanding of product costing, commercial feasibility, quality consistency and operational scalability.
• Ability to independently manage multiple product development projects and meet agreed timelines.• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with attention to detail.
• Proactive, resourceful and naturally curious about new ingredients, consumer trends and food innovation.
• Able to work effectively with cross-functional teams and external business partners.
• Good communication and organisational skills.
• Strong sense of ownership and accountability, with a results-oriented mindset and willingness to follow through beyond task completion.
• Demonstrated ability to independently identify problems, propose solutions and drive improvements without constant supervision.
• Commercially minded, with the ability to balance creativity, customer preferences, product quality and business performance.

Added Advantages:
• Experience in tea-based beverages, dairy and plant-based drinks, gelato, desserts or Asian-inspired food products.
• Familiarity with traditional Chinese herbs, botanical ingredients or wellness-inspired products.
• Experience working with ingredient suppliers, contract manufacturers or external R&D consultants.
• Knowledge of Singapore food regulations, nutritional labelling and product testing requirements.
• Ability to communicate in Mandarin for collaboration with Chinese suppliers and technical partners.

What We're Looking For:
We're looking for someone who is passionate about food and beverage innovation, constantly explores new ingredients, studies market trends and challenges existing ways of doing things.

You should understand that developing a great recipe is only the beginning. A successful product must appeal to customers, make commercial sense and be consistently reproducible across our retail network.

Most importantly, we value individuals who take ownership of outcomes, not just tasks. If a product doesn't perform as expected, we want someone who investigates why, proposes improvements and follows through on solutions, rather than considering the job complete once the recipe has been handed over.

We are looking for someone who takes initiative, thinks independently and is motivated by the results their work delivers.

What Success Looks Like in Your First 90 Days:

First 30 Days: Understand & Identify
• Develop a strong understanding of AMACHA's existing products, ingredients, brand positioning and R&D processes.
• Visit our retail outlets to understand customer preferences, operational challenges and product consistency.
• Conduct competitor and market research to identify emerging trends and product opportunities.
• Identify at least 3–5 opportunities for product improvement, innovation or cost optimisation.

Days 31–60: Develop & Improve
• Develop and present at least 3 new product concepts aligned with AMACHA's brand direction.
• Produce working prototypes for at least 2 concepts, supported by preliminary costing and feasibility assessments.
• Propose and test improvements to at least 2 existing products.
• Establish a structured approach to recipe documentation, product testing and development tracking.

Days 61–90: Deliver & Take Ownership
• Complete the development of at least 1 launch-ready product that meets agreed standards for taste, quality, costing and operational feasibility.
• Demonstrate measurable improvements in existing product quality, cost efficiency or preparation processes.
• Independently manage R&D projects, proactively identifying challenges and proposing solutions rather than waiting for instructions.
• Present a prioritised 6-month product development pipeline supported by market research, customer insights and commercial considerations.
• Establish clear success measures for new products and improvements and take responsibility for reviewing results and recommending further action.

Our Expectations on Ownership:
At AMACHA, we believe success is not simply about completing assigned tasks but about achieving meaningful results.

Developing a recipe is only one part of the process. We expect our Product Developer to take ownership of how that product performs, from customer acceptance and product quality to cost efficiency and operational practicality.

This means being proactive in identifying problems, following through on improvements, learning from feedback and continuously refining products until the intended outcomes are achieved.

We value people who take responsibility not just for what they do, but for the results their work delivers.