R&D_Consumer & Sensory Insights Manager

Job Purpose

Lead Consumer & Sensory Research activities and translate consumer, sensory, and product data into actionable Consumer & Technical Insights to support product development, product improvement, and innovation.

Combine strong Food Technology knowledge, Sensory expertise, and data analytical skills to identify consumer needs, understand product performance, and translate insights into clear technical directions for R&D.

Key Responsibilities

1. Lead Consumer & Sensory Research

• Partner with R&D, Marketing, QA, Manufacturing, and relevant functions to identify consumer needs, product issues, and research objectives.
• Design and coordinate Consumer Research, Sensory Evaluation, and Product Testing activities using appropriate research methodologies.
• Evaluate product performance through sensory attributes, consumer liking, preference, and other relevant measures.
• Ensure research is conducted with appropriate methodology, quality, timeline, and reliability.

2. Translate Consumer Insights into Technical Insights

• Leverage strong Food Technology knowledge to understand the relationship between raw materials, formulation, processing, product attributes, and consumer perception.
• Translate consumer and sensory findings into clear Technical Insights and product development directions for R&D.
• Identify key product attributes and technical factors that drive consumer liking, preference, and acceptance.
• Partner with R&D to recommend opportunities for product development, optimization, and innovation.

3. Analyze Data & Generate Insights

• Collect, manage, and analyze consumer, sensory, product, and research data from multiple sources.
• Identify patterns, trends, correlations, and key drivers from research data.
• Apply data-driven thinking to evaluate product performance and support business/product decisions.
• Translate complex data into clear, actionable insights and recommendations for R&D and Marketing.

• Bachelor's degree or above in Food Technology, Food Science, Sensory Science, Consumer Science, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of experience in Sensory Research, Consumer Research, Consumer Insights, Product Testing, R&D, or related fields.
• Strong background in Food Technology, with a good understanding of food products, formulation, raw materials, processing, and product attributes.
• Strong hands-on experience in Sensory Evaluation / Sensory Science, including sensory test design, execution, and interpretation.
• Strong data analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify meaningful insights from consumer, sensory, and product data.
• Experience in FMCG, preferably Food & Beverage, is highly preferred.
• Experience working cross-functionally with R&D, Marketing, QA, Manufacturing, and other relevant functions.
• Good command of English, both written and spoken.