A large-scale food manufacturer in Dubai, supplying airline, foodservice, and retail customers across multiple production units, is looking for a Specialist – Food Technology to lead the resolution of complex product, process, and quality challenges. This is a senior technical role for someone who enjoys solving hard problems, mentoring others, and balancing several strategic projects at once. As Specialist – Food Technology, you’ll lead investigations into product and process deviations, designing experiments and interpreting data to find lasting fixes; support new product development and reformulation through benchtop experiments and scale-up testing; optimize processes to improve quality, reduce waste, and control costs; work with ingredient and equipment suppliers and universities to bring in innovative ideas; partner with procurement to qualify new ingredients and analyze formulation costs; maintain technical SOPs and laboratory standards; train culinary and production teams and set sensory and quality benchmarks; lead several projects at once; and mentor food technologists at junior and mid-level. The role is full-time and calls for at least six years of food industry experience, with a master’s degree preferred.
About the Employer — Airline & Foodservice Manufacturing in Dubai
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Customers: Airline catering, foodservice, and retail production
Operations: Large-scale, high-volume manufacturing across multiple units
Priorities: Innovation, cost optimization, waste reduction, shelf-life extension, and quality
Teams: Cross-functional, with culinary, production, and food safety partners
Specialist Role — Technical Leadership & Innovation
Department: Food Technology
Primary Focus: Complex problem resolution, formulation, shelf-life, cost
Scope: Multiple manufacturing units and cross-functional projects
Mission: Driving product quality, efficiency, and innovation at scale
Specialist – Food Technology Position Overview
The Specialist – Food Technology role is a technical leadership position in a large, fast-moving food manufacturing business. The company supplies airline, foodservice, and retail customers, which means product quality and consistency are non-negotiable across every unit. When something goes wrong, whether a deviation in a process, a quality drift, or a product that performs poorly, you’ll lead the investigation. That means designing and running experiments, collecting and interpreting the data, and turning the results into solutions that hold up at production scale. Innovation is a major part of the job. You’ll support new product development and reformulation work, moving from benchtop experiments to scale-up testing and formulation evaluation, and you’ll provide the technical recommendations that make commercialization succeed. Process improvement runs alongside this work, with a focus on quality, waste reduction, cost efficiency, and regulatory compliance. You’ll also look beyond the company for ideas, working with ingredient suppliers, equipment makers, and universities, and validating what they propose before recommending it. Ingredient sourcing is part of your remit as well. Partnering with procurement, you’ll qualify new ingredient solutions, evaluate suppliers, and analyze formulation costs to support shelf-life extension and profitability without compromising quality. Documentation and training matter too: you’ll develop technical SOPs and laboratory procedures, share food science principles with culinary and production teams, and set sensory evaluation protocols and quality standards. With several projects running at once, you’ll set clear plans, milestones, and cross-functional dependencies, and you’ll mentor the food technologists in your team by reviewing experimental designs and guiding their technical development.
As Specialist – Food Technology, you’ll build deep expertise in food chemistry, ingredient functionality, processing technologies, and design of experiments, while sharpening your strategic problem-solving and project leadership. The ideal candidate holds a master’s degree in food science, food technology, or an equivalent qualification, which is preferred, and brings at least six years of relevant food industry experience. Extensive work in product formulation, recipe optimization, shelf-life extension, stability studies, and commercialization is expected, along with proven skill in ingredient functionality, supplier qualification, cost optimization, and root-cause analysis. Experience writing SOPs and validation protocols, maintaining food safety and quality standards, and mentoring junior food technologists will serve you well. Strong statistical data analysis, technical writing, and an understanding of food safety regulations and quality systems are also important. For senior food technologists in Dubai who want to lead technical work across multiple manufacturing units, this role offers real influence and a clear path to further leadership.
Why This Role Matters: As Specialist – Food Technology in Dubai, you solve the complex product and process problems that affect a high-volume airline and foodservice supplier, lead innovation and reformulation projects from the bench to full scale, cut waste and cost while protecting quality, shape the technical standards used across units, mentor the next generation of food technologists, and advance a senior career in food science leadership.
Key Responsibilities & Technical Leadership Duties
Complex Problem Investigation
- Lead investigations into product and process deviations
- Design experiments to find root causes
- Interpret analytical data to guide decisions
- Translate findings into effective technical solutions
- Verify solutions before they reach full production
- Share learnings to prevent repeat deviations
New Product Development & Reformulation
- Support new product development initiatives
- Lead benchtop experimentation and formulation evaluation
- Plan and oversee scale-up testing
- Troubleshoot processing challenges during development
- Provide recommendations for successful commercialization
- Apply design of experiments (DOE) to optimize performance
Process Optimization & Cost Efficiency
- Optimize processes to improve product quality
- Reduce waste across production units
- Drive cost efficiency without compromising quality
- Maintain regulatory compliance in process changes
- Measure the impact of improvements on yield and cost
- Support continuous improvement in manufacturing
Supplier Partnership & Ingredient Strategy
- Work with procurement to source and qualify ingredients
- Conduct supplier evaluations and ingredient assessments
- Analyze formulation cost and profitability
- Drive shelf-life extension through ingredient choices
- Engage ingredient suppliers, equipment suppliers, and universities
- Validate external solutions before recommending them
SOPs, Validation & Sensory Standards
- Develop and maintain technical SOPs for food technology
- Write validation protocols for processes and laboratory instruments
- Establish sensory evaluation protocols
- Set product quality standards for consistency
- Ensure data integrity across laboratory records
- Support knowledge transfer through clear documentation
Training & Mentoring
- Develop technical training for culinary and production teams
- Translate food science principles into practical best practices
- Provide technical direction to junior and mid-level food technologists
- Review experimental designs and provide feedback
- Foster a culture of scientific rigor and continuous learning
- Support career development within the team
Project Leadership & Coordination
- Lead multiple projects concurrently
- Set project plans, timelines, and milestones
- Manage cross-functional dependencies
- Prioritize competing demands effectively
- Ensure timely delivery of technical work
- Align project outcomes with broader business objectives
Qualifications & Requirements
Education
- Master’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, or equivalent qualification
Experience
- Minimum 6 years of relevant experience in the food industry
- Extensive experience in food product formulation and recipe optimization
- Experience with design of experiments (DOE) and stability studies
- Experience in shelf-life extension and commercialization
- Proven experience in supplier qualification and cost optimization
- Root-cause analysis experience in complex technical challenges
Technical Expertise
- Advanced knowledge of food chemistry and ingredient functionality
- Knowledge of processing technologies and product development principles
- Statistical data analysis and interpretation of technical results
- In-depth knowledge of food safety standards and quality systems
- Understanding of regulatory requirements and shelf-life strategies
Documentation & Validation
- Technical writing and SOP development
- Experience writing validation protocols
- Experience with commercialization in food manufacturing
Leadership & Communication
- Strategic problem-solving capability
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management
- Project leadership and cross-functional collaboration
- Ability to influence technical decisions
- Ability to mentor junior and mid-level food technologists
Career Development & Growth Opportunities
Professional Advancement
- Pathway toward Food Technology Manager or Head of R&D roles
- Opportunity to lead technical strategy across multiple units
- Influence on company-wide standards and innovation
- Growth within a large-scale food manufacturing business
Learning & Development
- Advanced experience in design of experiments and shelf-life science
- Leadership development through project and team management
- Exposure to airline and foodservice product requirements
- Development of mentoring and technical training skills
About the Employer — Technical Excellence at Scale in Dubai
This Dubai food manufacturer runs large-scale, high-volume production supporting airline, foodservice, and retail customers across multiple units. The business puts innovation, cost discipline, waste reduction, and product quality at the center of its technical work, and it invests in the people who lead that work. Technical specialists partner with culinary, production, procurement, and food safety teams to keep products consistent and operations efficient.
Career Excellence in Food Technology Leadership: Join a large-scale food manufacturer in Dubai, lead complex product and process investigations, drive reformulation and shelf-life innovation, shape technical standards across units, mentor food technologists, and build a senior career in food science leadership in the UAE.
Who Should Apply?
- Senior Food Technologists: With formulation and shelf-life experience
- Product Development Specialists: Seeking a technical leadership role
- Food Scientists with DOE Expertise: Ready for complex problem-solving
- Airline and Foodservice Technologists: Looking for scale
- Cost Optimization Specialists: With food manufacturing background
- Technical Mentors: Who enjoy developing junior food technologists
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