HEAD OF R&D

ABOUT KFC

Colonel Harland Sanders opened the first KFC in Corbin, Kentucky, in 1938. He started with one restaurant, 11 herbs and spices, and an idea. From there, our incredible brand and product grew to what it is today.  KFC is one of the five brands operated by our parent company, Yum! Along with Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, The Habit Burger Grill and recently added Heartstyles.

KFC first came to Vietnam in 1997 with our first restaurant in Super Bowl, Ho Chi Minh City. Today, we are the biggest business in the fast-food industry in Vietnam, with more than 200 restaurants run and 5,000 restaurant team members. The Restaurant Support Centre (RSC) is located at the Bluesky office, Tan Binh District – near Tan Son Nhat Airport.

POSITION SUMMARY

Role Title: R&D Manager/Head.

Department: R&D

Section:

Role Purpose:

The R&D Manager/Head role will drive new product development initiatives from ideation to launch and beyond to create a brand-relevant product pipeline of innovation. This will require collaborating with marketing team members, store operations, and supply chain to understand marketing trends and roll out best-selling new products. Furthermore, this individual must collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure the successful launch of new products.

Reporting directly to the General Director

Key Responsibilities:

• Product Innovation Planning: develop long-term product innovation goals and objectives; Stay up to date with industry trends, consumer behaviors, and competitive landscape to revise/ update product development strategy; Explore market trends to guide the innovation for new products, both permanent and limited time offers, as well as regional market menu items; Partner with the consumer insights team to identify new product opportunities and consumer trends/preferences/needs and use this information as basis to deliver the most relevant products on time and within the target Cost of Sales (COS)
• Product Development and Commercialization: Lead the development and execution of new product concepts, from ideation to commercialization, including product design, development, testing, and launching; Develop and manage project timelines, budgets, and cross-functional teams (Marketing, Commercial, Operations, and Supply Chain) to ensure seamless product development and launch processes.
• Product Improvement: Analyse and track product performance, customer feedback, and market trends to identify opportunities for product enhancement and innovation; Propose and execute product and ingredient improvements to improve quality and customer satisfaction and maintain the brand’s relevance.
• Quality Assurance: Implement and maintain high-quality standards for all food products; Work closely with the QA team to address any issues related to product quality and safety.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Coordinate with various departments, including Marketing, E-Commerce, and Operations, to align product development with business goals and foster a collaborative and innovative work environment.
• Cost Management: Manage project budgets effectively to ensure cost-efficient product development; Identify opportunities for cost optimization without compromising product quality.
• Manage relationships with external suppliers, vendors, and partners to ensure high-quality products are delivered on time and within budget.

Professional Skills:

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Engineering, Biology, or related Food science.
• Must have at least five years of experience as an R&D Manager in the F&B industry.
• Must have experience developing a product innovation strategy and driving the product development pipeline, with proven ability to move products from ideation to commercialization.
• Have a good outstanding menu development, with relevant experience in developing fast food, beverages, and food products
• Have a good knowledge of kitchen operations, Market trend scanning, insights generation, fast food and beverages research & development from product ideation, consumer testing, commercialization, and rollout.
• Have a good understanding of Purchasing, vendor and cost management, store operations, packaging design, creative and concept development, and Consumer Marketing

Key Responsibilities:

• Proven track record of working under pressure/to tight deadlines.
• Experience in working with relevant stakeholders.
• Excellent presentation & communication skills
• Budget Management.
• Fluent in English.

KFC Vietnam is an equal-opportunity employer. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds and experiences.

Disclaimer: This job description may not be a complete description of all the jobs and may be changed from time to time at the discretion of the management. It is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the role. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities, or working conditions associated with the position.