Overview

The Product Developer plays a key role in transforming chef-created gold standards into functional, testable product prototypes and recipes. This role is highly hands-on—supporting the development, iteration, and validation of MVPs (Minimum Viable Products) that bridge culinary intent with real-world technical feasibility.

Responsibilities

Prototype and MVP Development:

- Execute hands-on development of early culinary product prototypes based on direction from Chefs and senior product developers. - Works on simple projects in autonomy to deliver prototypes and scalable recipes - Support product evaluations, reformulations, and recipe adjustments to align with gold-standard targets - Document preparation parameters and product performance to support product iteration and scale-up. - Provide input on product handling, quality challenges and pack-out implications. - Organize samples, build variants, and prepare materials for sprint reviews and tastings.

Collaboration & Scale-Up Support

- Work closely with the Chefs, Process development, Supply Chain and quality teams to prepare products for pilot trials. - Support troubleshooting during early-stage co-manufacturing or test production runs. - Support the product development Managers in daily tasks for complex projects - Maintain accurate logs of formulas, build notes, test results, ingredients challenges and learnings, etc.



- Ensure traceability and development hygiene for all product iterations.

Success in This Role Looks Like

- High-quality, well-documented prototypes delivered on time and within COGS - Strong collaboration and communication with culinary, technical, and operational partners. - Rapid iteration with clear learnings feeding into the next development cycle. - Prototypes that are practical, consistent, and ready for handoff to senior developers or scale-up leads.

Qualifications

- Degree in Food Science, Culinary Innovation, Food Technology, Engineering, or related field preferred. - 5 to 7 yearsof hands-on product development experience in food, culinary innovation, or R&D; kitchens. - Experience within at east 2 of these technologies within Savory products: Ready Meals, Frozen foods, Pasteurization, chilled meals, shelf stable and/or culinary products. - Experience with product comercialization and product scale up. - FSQA experience is a major plus - Strong practical culinary ability to prototype quickly and accurately. - Comfortable in fast-paced, ambiguous R&D; environments. - Familiarity with pilot production or co-man processes is a plus. - Excellent organization, documentation, collaboration and communication skills. - Ability to find solutions and proactivity complete the profile

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📌 Product Development Manager, Food Ventures (Madrid)
🏢 PepsiCo
📍 Madrid