A leading food manufacturing business in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is seeking a highly motivated and innovative New Product Development (NPD) Specialist to join its growing product development team. In this exciting, creativity-driven role, you will be responsible for developing and improving bakery, pastry, confectionery, and dessert products from concept through to full commercialization — ensuring each product delivers outstanding quality, production scalability, cost efficiency, and alignment with consumer and market trends. The ideal candidate brings 3–5 years of NPD experience within the food manufacturing industry and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Nutrition, or a related field.
About the Role — NPD Specialist, Riyadh Food Manufacturing
Industry: FMCG Food Manufacturing — Bakery, Confectionery, Pastry, Desserts, Snack Foods
Development Scope: Concept to commercialization — product trials, pilot runs, factory validations, and commercial launch
Collaboration: Cross-functional teamwork with Production, Quality, Procurement, and Commercial departments
Documentation: Product specifications, recipes, formulations, and full technical documentation management
Language: Good command of English required for technical communication and documentation
Why This NPD Role in Riyadh Is a Career-Defining Opportunity
Innovation Focus: Lead the full NPD pipeline — from market-inspired concept ideation through to successful factory commercialization
Diverse Product Portfolio: Work across bakery, pastry, confectionery, desserts, and snack food categories simultaneously
Saudi Market Growth: Saudi Arabia’s food manufacturing sector is experiencing rapid growth — exceptional timing for an NPD career move
Strategic Influence: Shape consumer-facing product innovation for a leading FMCG food manufacturer in one of MENA’s largest consumer markets
Position Overview
As NPD Specialist at a leading food manufacturing company in Riyadh, you will be the innovation engine behind a diverse portfolio of bakery, pastry, confectionery, dessert, and snack products — taking each one from the first spark of a concept through product trials, pilot runs, factory validations, and all the way to successful commercial launch. You will work closely with Production, Quality, Procurement, and Commercial teams throughout every stage of the development process, preparing detailed product specifications, recipes, and formulations, evaluating new ingredients and raw materials, supporting factory implementation and scale-up, and continuously monitoring market trends and consumer preferences to identify the next great product innovation. This role is a genuine opportunity for a passionate food technologist or food scientist to build an impactful, creativity-driven NPD career in Saudi Arabia’s thriving food manufacturing sector.
Why This Role Matters: As NPD Specialist in Riyadh, every product you develop has the potential to reach thousands — or millions — of consumers across Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region. Whether you are creating a new line of premium pastries, reformulating a confectionery product to improve consistency, or scaling up a dessert formulation for industrial production, your food science expertise and innovation mindset are the foundation on which the company’s next generation of market-leading products is built. In Saudi Arabia’s fast-growing and increasingly sophisticated food market, NPD excellence is not a nice-to-have — it is a true competitive advantage.
Key Responsibilities
New Product Development — Concept to Commercial Launch
- Develop new bakery, pastry, confectionery, and dessert products from initial concept through all development stages to successful commercial launch — meeting quality, cost, and consumer expectation targets
- Optimize existing products to enhance quality, improve consistency, reduce waste, and increase cost efficiency — without compromising the sensory and functional characteristics that consumers value
- Conduct systematic product trials and pilot runs in the development kitchen and at factory scale — documenting outcomes and refining formulations based on trial results and stakeholder feedback
- Monitor international and regional market trends, consumer preference shifts, and competitor product innovations to proactively identify new NPD opportunities for the company’s product portfolio
Product Formulation, Specifications & Technical Documentation
- Prepare comprehensive product specifications, detailed recipes, precise formulations, and full technical documentation for each new and improved product developed within the NPD pipeline
- Evaluate ingredients and raw materials for new product development initiatives — assessing functionality, cost, availability, shelf life contribution, and sensory impact across different product categories
- Ensure all product formulations and specifications are clearly documented, properly version-controlled, and accessible to Production, Quality, and Procurement teams for accurate manufacturing implementation
- Maintain accurate NPD project records — covering trial results, formulation iterations, ingredient evaluations, approval decisions, and commercial launch timelines for each product development project
Factory Validation, Scale-Up & Production Support
- Lead and support factory implementation activities — bridging the gap between development kitchen formulations and large-scale industrial production to ensure product quality is maintained at volume
- Conduct and oversee factory validation trials — identifying and resolving scale-up challenges related to equipment capability, ingredient behaviour at scale, and process parameter adjustments
- Collaborate closely with the Production team during product launches to resolve any manufacturing issues quickly and ensure new products are introduced smoothly into the production schedule
- Support continuous product improvement programmes on the factory floor — working alongside Production and Quality colleagues to address consistency issues and optimize manufacturing processes
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Regulatory Compliance
- Collaborate effectively with Production, Quality, Procurement, and Commercial teams throughout the NPD process — ensuring all development activities are commercially viable, operationally feasible, and quality-compliant
- Ensure all new and improved products comply fully with Saudi food safety regulations, quality standards, and company-specific compliance requirements from development through to commercial launch
- Engage with the Commercial team to understand market requirements, consumer insights, and business priorities — ensuring the NPD pipeline consistently delivers products that meet real consumer and retailer needs
- Support the Procurement team in evaluating new ingredient suppliers and raw material alternatives — providing technical input on ingredient functionality, quality thresholds, and substitution feasibility
Qualifications & Requirements
Educational Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Nutrition, Food Engineering, or a closely related scientific discipline — required for this NPD Specialist role
- Postgraduate qualifications in food product development, food innovation, or a related area are a meaningful advantage and will be given priority consideration
Experience Requirements
- 3–5 years of hands-on New Product Development experience within the food manufacturing industry — specifically covering bakery, pastry, confectionery, dessert, or snack food product categories
- Solid, demonstrable experience in product trials, factory validations, and production scale-up activities for food products moving from development kitchen to commercial manufacturing scale
- Strong practical understanding of food ingredients, formulation science, and manufacturing processes relevant to bakery, confectionery, pastry, dessert, and snack product categories
Preferred Industry Experience
- Industrial Bakery Manufacturing — experience developing high-volume bread, cake, biscuit, or pastry products for industrial scale production
- Confectionery Manufacturing — chocolate, sugar confectionery, gummies, or candy product development at commercial scale
- Pastry & Dessert Production — premium dessert formulation, chilled or ambient pastry product development, or Central Kitchen operations
- Snack Food & FMCG Manufacturing — extruded snacks, coated products, or FMCG category new product development in a high-volume manufacturing environment
Skills & Competencies
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills — able to diagnose formulation or process issues quickly and develop practical, cost-effective solutions at both development and production scale
- Good command of English — required for technical documentation, cross-functional communication, ingredient supplier interactions, and management reporting
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills — able to collaborate effectively across Production, Quality, Procurement, and Commercial teams in a fast-paced food manufacturing environment
About the Employer — Leading Food Manufacturer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
This NPD Specialist opportunity is with a leading food manufacturing company based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — a company that has built its market position on a foundation of product quality, consumer insight-driven innovation, and operational excellence across its bakery, confectionery, pastry, dessert, and snack food product portfolio. Operating in one of the MENA region’s largest and most dynamic consumer markets, the company is actively investing in its New Product Development capability to drive growth, capture emerging consumer trends, and strengthen its competitive position in Saudi Arabia’s fast-expanding FMCG food sector. As NPD Specialist, you will join a team that values food science expertise, creative thinking, and a genuine passion for developing products that consumers love — backed by the resources, cross-functional collaboration, and factory support infrastructure needed to take great ideas all the way to the supermarket shelf.
Apply Now: Take the next step in your food product development career and bring your bakery, confectionery, and pastry NPD expertise to one of Riyadh’s leading food manufacturing companies.
Who Should Apply?
- Food Science & Technology Graduates: With 3–5 years of NPD experience in bakery, confectionery, pastry, or dessert product development within a food manufacturing company
- Bakery & Confectionery Product Developers: With hands-on formulation, product trial, and factory validation experience in industrial bakery, confectionery, or snack food manufacturing environments
- FMCG Food Innovation Specialists: With a strong understanding of consumer market trends, product lifecycle management, and cross-functional NPD collaboration in a fast-moving food manufacturing setting
- Food Formulation Scientists: With deep knowledge of ingredient functionality, raw material evaluation, and cost-efficient formulation development across multiple bakery and confectionery product categories
- Saudi Arabia & GCC Food Professionals: Seeking a senior NPD specialist role with a leading food manufacturer in Riyadh — one of MENA’s most dynamic and rapidly growing food industry markets
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