Product Development Officer - Foods R&D

Job Title : Product Development Officer- Foods R&D
Function : R&D Foods
Scope : Foods India BU – Product Development
Location : Hindustan Unilever Limited – Research Centre, Whitefield, Bangalore
Terms & Conditions : Full Time

Bring purpose-led Food innovation to Life

Are you passionate about creating food products that people love while caring for the planet? We are looking for a Product Development Specialist to join our Foods Research and Development team in Bengaluru. In this role, you will help turn consumer insights into delicious, high-quality food products that make everyday life better for millions of people.
You will be part of a collaborative and supportive team that believes innovation should have a positive impact — on consumers, on customers, and on the environment. This is a great opportunity to grow your technical expertise, learn from experienced professionals, and see your work move from the laboratory to large-scale production.

What you will do
As a Product Development Specialist, you will play a key role throughout the product development journey, from early ideas to market-ready solutions.
Your responsibilities will include:
• Developing new food product formulations in the laboratory and supporting their scale-up in pilot and manufacturing facilities
• Translating product briefs into practical, high-quality solutions that meet cost, quality, safety, Unilever and regulatory requirements
• Studying existing products, including competitor offerings, to help define realistic project goals and technical approaches
• Working closely with consumer insights teams to understand how people cook, eat, and experience food, and using these insights to guide development
• Staying up to date with food trends, new ingredients, and supplier capabilities
• Creating clear technical documentation, product specifications, and standard ways of working
• Supporting the development of compelling product stories and providing technical training to colleagues where needed
• Improving existing products to enhance quality, value, affordability, and sustainability
• Managing risks, supporting product claims, and ensuring full compliance with food safety and regulatory standards
• Conducting shelf-life and stability studies to ensure products meet quality expectations over time
• Collaborating closely with colleagues across research and development, supply chain, procurement, manufacturing, and marketing

Essential qualification:
• A master’s degree in Food Technology or a closely related discipline

Desirable experience and skills:
• One to two years of experience in food R&D, particularly in new product development
• A creative mindset with a hands-on approach to experimentation
• Strong understanding of food science and food processing technologies
• Ability to analyze and interpret data to guide decision-making
• Curiosity about consumer needs and emerging food trends
• Good collaboration and communication skills

What we Offer:
• The chance to work on products that reach millions of consumers
• A collaborative, inclusive team culture that values learning and fresh ideas
• Exposure to the full product development lifecycle, from concept to launch
• Opportunities to build technical depth and broaden your experience across food categories
• Travel opportunities (approximately 10–20 percent of the time) to manufacturing sites and suppliers, offering valuable real-world learning

Join us:
If you are excited about creating great food products, enjoy working in cross-functional teams, and want to grow your career in research and development, we would love to hear from you.
Join us and help shape the future of food

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion 

Unilever embraces diversity and encourages applicants from all walks of life! This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. 

"All official offers from Unilever are issued only via our Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Offers from individuals or unofficial sources may be fraudulent—please verify before proceeding."