Open Secret
Website:
opensecret.in
Job details:
About Us
The Company is a fast-growing, innovation-driven food & beverage brand making snacks for
new India. We are on a mission to transform the way India snacks by creating a range of
healthy snack options that are delicious, healthier, and guilt-free. We blend food science, great
taste, and transparency to create better-for-you products families love.
About the Role
As Lead - Food Technologist, you will own the technical innovation pipeline—from
early-stage recipe ideation through successful large-scale manufacturing. This is not a
laboratory-only position. You'll be the critical bridge between market opportunity, consumer
insights, manufacturing feasibility, and regulatory reality. You'll work directly with contract
manufacturers, external consultants, ingredient suppliers, and internal teams to transform raw
concepts into production-ready, market-winning products.
This role demands hustle, pragmatism, and solutions-orientation—the ability to navigate
constraints (cost, ingredient availability, shelf life, FSSAI compliance) while maintaining
product integrity and delivering breakthrough innovation.
We are scaling fast and we face new challenges everyday, you need to think fast, solve fast
and if necessary, fail fast.
Key Responsibilities
1. Product Development and Formulation
Lead recipe development and prototype creation aligned with market trends and
Company’s healthy snacking positioning
Design formulations balancing sensory appeal, nutritional efficacy, cost, and
manufacturability.
Conduct sensory evaluation, shelf-life testing, and quality analysis.
Create detailed technical documentation(SOPs,BOM, process
specifications)
2. Scale-Up and Manufacturing Partnership
Identify, evaluate, and partner with contract manufacturers for production
Manage pilot batches and troubleshoot scale-up issues affecting taste, texture, shelf
life, or nutrition
Establish quality control checkpoints and standardize processes with manufacturing
partners
Ensure packaging and material compatibility for ingredient stability and shelf life
3. FSSAI Compliance and Regulatory Navigation
Ensure all products meet FSSAI regulations for composition, labeling, and safety
Manage novel food approvals and regulatory submissions
Guide ingredient sourcing for compliance with food safety standards (HACCP, GMP,
ISO 22000)
Build relationships with accredited testing labs for validation
4. Consultant and Vendor Engagement
Identify and manage external consultants for specialized technical needs
(functional ingredients, processing, allergen management)
Evaluate and partner with ingredient suppliers; ensure cost competitiveness and
regulatory suitability
Represent the Company in industry forums and maintain network of technical experts
5. Cross-Functional Collaboration
Partner with Product Management, Marketing, and Operations teams to translate
consumer insights into technical requirements
Support Quality Assurance and go-to-market teams with technical guidance and
validation
6. Innovation and Continuous Improvement
Identify emerging trends and evaluate commercial viability for the Company
Optimize existing products for cost reduction, sustainability, or improved nutrition
without compromising quality
Track competitor benchmarking and market innovations
Qualifications
1. Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Technology, or Food Engineering (or
equivalent qualification from a recognized institution)
2. Certifications in HACCP, FSSAI, or GMP compliance preferred
3. Proficiency in MS Office/Google Suite (especially Excel)
4. Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to prepare concise
documents
5. Positive attitude, strong sense of ownership, and willingness to go beyond the job
description as needed
6. The candidate must not have any history or current habit of tobacco consumption -
smoking, chewing, or vaping. (Tobacco is known to compromise a person sensory
ability)
Experience
1. 4 to 5 years of hands-on experience in food product development, formula
optimization, and scale-up manufacturing in an FMCG or food manufacturing
environment
2. Demonstrated experience transitioning prototypes from lab scale to commercial
manufacturing (minimum 3 – 5 successful product launches from concept to market)
3. Hands-on experience with sensory testing, shelf-life studies, and quality control testing
(chemical, microbiological, nutritional analysis)
4. Proven experience collaborating with contract manufacturers, ingredient suppliers,
and external consultants
5. Familiarity with FSSAI regulatory requirements, labeling standards, and approval
processes for novel foods or functional products
6. Experience in at least 2 of these categories: bakery, savoury snacks, breakfast
cereals, or protein-based foods
Click on Apply to know more.