Food & Beverage Product Development Chef

About the role

The Food & Beverage Product Development Chef will lead ADNOC Distribution’s C‑Store culinary innovation, driving end‑to‑end private‑label product creation. Reporting to senior leadership, the role ensures new food concepts are market‑ready, cost‑effective, and fully compliant with UAE food‑safety and Halal standards.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the Stage‑Gate development process for new food products, from concept brief to commercial launch.
• Create scalable recipes, formulations and product specifications suitable for commissary and in‑store preparation.
• Conduct sensory testing, product trials and validation to guarantee taste consistency and customer acceptance.
• Define preparation standards, process flows and handling requirements to ensure uniform execution across all store formats.
• Collaborate with suppliers on trials, technical validation and production readiness, overseeing packaging design and labeling compliance.
• Manage the culinary innovation pipeline, prioritising projects, tracking milestones and mitigating risks.
• Drive value‑engineering initiatives to optimise cost structures while maintaining product quality and brand positioning.

Required profile

• Proven senior culinary leadership experience in food product development or R&D.
• Strong understanding of UAE regulatory, food‑safety and Halal requirements.
• Ability to translate business briefs into detailed product specifications and bill of materials.
• Excellent project‑management skills with a track record of delivering products on schedule.

Required skills

• Stage‑Gate methodology
• Product formulation and recipe development
• Sensory evaluation and testing
• Packaging design and labeling compliance
• Value engineering and cost optimisation
• Supplier collaboration and technical validation