Job Description

To lead and develop the food Innovation Strategy for South African Restaurant Business.
Is accountable for launching Innovation within the Food and Beverage space, existing Product Development and ensuring the very best brand standards of food and food safety
Is responsible for the creation of new innovative product concepts incorporating new and/or existing ingredients and packaging in order to deliver a product that is delicious and serves our customers needs and is operationally executable with market-appropriate gross margins.
Minimum Requirements
Degree in Food Science or Food Technology Diploma or Chef Diploma
Drivers License and own vehicle
5 years experience in the Food industry
Knowledge;

• Knowledge of Food and Meal creation (Advanced)
• Knowledge of Food processing and Food safety (Intermediate)
• Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies (entry level)
• Knowledge of regulatory Food legislation (Intermediate)
• Experience of Food Photography for Food shoots (entry level)
• Knowledge of Food microbiology (Intermediate)

Duties and Responsibilities
Food Strategy & Concept Development

• Creates and contributes to a comprehensive Food strategy across all regions of responsibility
• Collaborates with the Nandos cross functional team
• Conducts the development of Nandos product range to ensure that this remains competitive in terms of range, innovation, quality and pricing
• Develop new concepts and plans as aligned to the Food Plan
• Based on concept development strategies, investigate food trends, innovations and consumer needs to identify any unmet food needs
• Build concepts and review through research funnels to identify the top concepts that get approved for taste research
• Conduct quantitative concept research and costings

Product Development, Research and Costing

• Develop product prototype through technical investigation into raw ingredients and interactions
• Present Concepts & Products to Food team
• Conduct qualitative taste and sensory research analysis with current target market to identify the preferred product if relevant
• Draw up rough costings to establish feasibility of product if required
• Follow Nandos stage gate process taking the product from ideation to launch
• Apply legislation relating to food safety for SA
• Develop and sign off specifications with Suppliers, including ingredients and products
• Sign off product at first factory on-line production for NPDs where possible and relevant
• Maintain the Allergen booklet, and regularly update food nutritional & allergen info for all meal items

Cross functional collaboration

• Collaborate with Group Foods on Existing Product Development and New Product Development.
• Collaborate with Operations to establish feasibility of product execution and additional requirements that may be needed
• Collaborate with Supply Chain to source required ingredients and packaging within cost parameters and aiming for the best quality.
• Work on product enhancements or changes to existing products
• Work with Learning and Development to create product training approaches

Trial Preparation, validations and Monitoring

• Support Brand experience at photoshoot to create point of sale photography
• Develop, write and test SOPs for all new menu items and ensure all existing food SOPs are updated and version controlled . All food SOPs to be operationally viable matching methods to recipes and recipes to SOPs
• Monitor trial roll-out through observations to establish that defined product protocols are being applied