Assistant Manager – New Product Development (Food)

About the role

Cargills is seeking an Assistant Manager to lead new product development for its Convenient Foods division. You will be responsible for creating innovative processed‑meat products that meet high standards of quality, nutrition, sensory appeal and cost efficiency.

Key responsibilities

• Lead end‑to‑end development of new and improved processed meat products, from ideation through lab, pilot, plant trials and commercial launch.
• Analyse market trends and consumer feedback to shape product concepts and conduct sensory evaluations.
• Ensure all products comply with internal standards and external regulations such as GFSI, ISO and Halal.
• Collaborate with Marketing, QA, Production, Procurement and Regulatory teams to align development with business objectives.
• Plan, prioritize and manage multiple NPD projects, maintaining thorough documentation and approvals.
• Source and evaluate new ingredients and packaging in partnership with suppliers.
• Maintain confidentiality of recipes, evaluation results and other proprietary information.

Required profile

• Minimum 5 years of experience in new product development within the meat, food or related industry.
• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology or a related field.
• Strong commitment to contributing positively to Sri Lanka’s economy and community.

Required skills

• Hands‑on experience in meat processing and formulation.