Head - Research & Development & Quality Control / Assurance

Department:

Designation:

Reporting Manager:

DETAILED ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Research & Development (R&D)

• Lead the end-to-end development of Nutraceuticals, FSDUs and Health supplements in compliance with FSSAI regulations.
• Conduct market research to identify consumer nutrition gaps and formulate evidence based products.
• Perform scientific ingredient research, including mechanisms of action, dosage determination and clinical backing.
• Collaborate with vendors on innovative ingredient sourcing, specification finalization and technical discussions.
• Oversee flavour development, sensory evaluation and scale up trials for commercial production.
• Reformulate existing products in response to changes in RDA, shelf life concerns or flavour improvements.
• Prepare, maintain and approve formulation sheets and nutritional charts for all products.
• Provide technical support to B2B clients, including customized formulations and documentation.
• Supply science backed marketing data for product launches and branding.

Quality Assurance (QA)

• Act as Food Safety Team Leader and own implementation of FSMS, HACCP, VACCP, TACCP and internal quality plans.
• Monitor regulatory compliance, coordinate with regulatory teams for FSSAI licenses, and oversee label approvals and product collaterals

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• Conduct internal food safety training and ensure food handlers meet hygiene, medical and vaccination requirements.
• Participate in and lead all external audits, including documentation, CAPA implementation and verification of corrections.
• Maintain and continuously improve quality systems, SOPs, PRP/OPRP plans, food safety policies and validation reports.
• Perform vendor audits to ensure third party facilities meet internal and legal standards.
• Approve all technical documentation including water testing, wood inspection and glass monitoring reports, label content, COAs, MSDS, heavy metal/microbiological reports, fumigation logs, hygiene reports and audit records.

Quality Control (QC)

• Supervise and verify daily production processes and ensure products meet internal and regulatory quality benchmarks.
• Analyze batch failures, deviations and implement corrective actions immediately.
• Coordinate with third-party laboratories for nutritional testing, microbial testing, heavy metal analysis and environmental sampling.
• Conduct and document shelf-life studies for all new products.
• Oversee swab sampling, cleaning validations and ensure compliance with environmental monitoring plans.
• Approve and review all QC results, including raw material and finished product testing.
• Maintain logs for instrument calibration, personal hygiene and sanitation activities.

Desired Candidate Profile

Qualification:

Masters of Science in Nutraceuticals with a background in Food Microbiology, Nutrition or Dietetics.

Certification:

Experience

o Strong leadership & team management

o Advanced multitasking & problem solving

o Regulatory & audit readiness

o Project execution under high pressure

o Strong written & verbal communication (English)

o Proficient in Microsoft office and technical documentation tools