Mohan Mutha Exports

Role Overview:

We are looking for a hands-on and technically strong R&D Manager who will lead product innovation and development in UHT and retort-processed plant-based beverages. This role requires a deep understanding of formulation, ingredient functionality, and processing technologies to create stable, great-tasting, clean-label products.

Roles & Responsibilities:

- Lead end-to-end R&D for UHT and retortable plant-based beverages such as juices, milks, and nutritional drinks.

- Create clean-label, shelf-stable formulations that deliver on taste, texture, and nutritional value.

- Design, execute, and evaluate lab and pilot-scale trials for continuous product refinement.

- Optimize the use of stabilizers, gums (e.g., gellan, guar, locust bean), emulsifiers, proteins, and sweeteners in beverage formulations.

- Collaborate with flavor and ingredient houses to source innovative and sustainable ingredients.

- Stay updated on global trends in plant-based and functional ingredients to drive innovation.

- Ensure compatibility of formulations with UHT, HTST, and retort processing technologies.

- Work closely with manufacturing units and co-packers to scale up production from pilot to commercial batches.

- Conduct comprehensive shelf-life studies covering microbial, sensory, and functional parameters.

- Troubleshoot technical issues such as phase separation, sedimentation, and flavor loss.

- Develop preservative-free yet stable formulations wherever feasible.

- Ensure all formulations and processes comply with FSSAI and relevant export regulations.

- Maintain detailed documentation of all R&D activities, including trials, formulations, and ingredient specifications.

- Collaborate with marketing, QA, procurement, operations, and packaging teams to ensure smooth and successful product launches.

Desired Candidate Profile:

- B.Tech / M.Tech / MSc in Food Technology, Dairy Science, Food Engineering, Biotechnology, or related fields

- Minimum 5 years of R&D experience focused on plant-based or dairy-alternative beverages

- Proven track record in UHT and retort beverage formulation and development

- Hands-on experience with stabilizers, emulsifiers, gums (gellan, guar, locust bean), proteins, and flavor systems

- Skilled in developing clean-label and preservative-free formulations

- Experience scaling formulations from lab and pilot trials to commercial production

- Strong knowledge of food chemistry and ingredient behavior under thermal processing (UHT, HTST, retort)

- Ability to design and conduct shelf-life and stability studies (microbial, sensory, and functional)

- Excellent project management, documentation, and trial execution capabilities

- Familiarity with regulatory requirements such as FSSAI and export compliance

- Experience working closely with ingredient suppliers, flavor houses, co-packers, and packaging teams

- Knowledge of sustainability trends and minimal processing in the food industry (nice to have)

- Experience with Tetra Pak or other aseptic packaging systems (nice to have)

- Familiarity with various plant-based raw materials such as oats, almonds, millets, soy, etc. (nice to have)