Product development specialist

Job Summary

The Product Specialist is responsible for managing the lifecycle, quality, and performance of BW produced products. This role bridges product development, production, quality assurance, and sales teams to ensure products are standardized, cost-efficient, scalable, and aligned with customer demand.

1. Product Management & Standardization

• Develop, document, and maintain product specifications (recipes, BOM, portioning, yield, shelf life).
• Ensure all products are standardized across production batches.
• Maintain and update product manuals and SOPs.

1. Product Development & Improvement

• Lead new product development (NPD) from concept to commercialization.
• Conduct product testing, trials, and validation before rollout.
• Continuously improve existing products based on: Cost efficiency; Production feasibility; Customer feedback.

1. Costing & Profitability

• Prepare and maintain accurate product costing (raw materials, labor, overhead allocation).
• Analyze cost variances and recommend cost-saving initiatives.
• Work with procurement to optimize ingredient sourcing.

1. Production Support & Process Alignment

• Coordinate with production to ensure recipes and processes are followed correctly.
• Address production issues related to: Yield losses; Process deviations; Product inconsistencies; Validate that products are scalable for mass production.

1. Quality & Compliance

• Partner with QA to ensure compliance with food safety standards (e.g., HACCP, GMP).
• Define critical quality parameters (taste, texture, appearance).
• Participate in internal audits and product inspections.

1. Demand & Performance Monitoring

• Monitor product performance using: Sales data; Waste/spoilage reports; Customer complaints; Recommend product rationalization or optimization based on data.

1. Cross-functional Coordination

• Act as the link between R&D, Production, QA, Procurement, and Sales/Marketing.
• Support marketing with product knowledge, positioning, and launch materials.