Key Responsibilities

- Lead research-driven NPD programs in emerging and differentiated categories, with an initial focus on alternate sugars, next-generation sweeteners, nutrition-led products, and cutting-edge food technologies.
- Identify market, scientific, and technology white spaces and translate them into original research programs with potential for proprietary know-how, patents, new products, processes, and technology platforms.
- Develop scientific hypotheses and research plans covering formulation, mechanism studies, analytical characterization, process development, prototype development, validation, and scale-up readiness.
- Drive the development of original and technically defensible solutions rather than relying primarily on existing formulations or readily available technologies.
- Lead scientific research on alternate sugars and sweeteners, including sweetness optimization, ingredient functionality, physicochemical properties, stability, sensory performance, process interactions, nutritional relevance, and product applications.
- Integrate nutrition science into product innovation by evaluating ingredients, reviewing scientific evidence, assessing nutritional relevance, and developing credible nutrition-led product propositions.
- Build and manage the R&D; intellectual property pipeline through prior-art reviews, novelty assessment, invention disclosures, patent-supporting studies, and collaboration with IP counsel.
- Design and oversee scientifically robust studies for product and claim substantiation, including study objectives, controls, endpoints, analytical methods, sample-size rationale,



statistical approaches, protocols, and interpretation.
- Work closely with Regulatory Affairs to assess ingredient permissibility, product classification, labelling requirements, and the scientific and regulatory basis for nutrition, functional, and health-related claims.
- Prepare research protocols, technical reports, scientific dossiers, patent-supporting evidence, publications, and presentations for internal and external stakeholders.
- Monitor emerging ingredients, technologies, scientific literature, patents, competitor developments, and research trends to identify opportunities relevant to the company s innovation strategy.
- Build and manage collaborations with universities, research institutions, CROs, analytical laboratories, technology providers, clinicians, nutrition experts, and other external specialists.
- Guide laboratory, pilot, and manufacturing trials and ensure that research outcomes are translated into scalable, commercially viable products and technologies.
- Mentor R&D; team members and strengthen organizational capabilities in experimental design, scientific documentation, IP development, nutrition research, and evidence-based innovation.
- Collaborate closely with R&D;, Regulatory, IP, Quality,



Marketing, Operations, and external research partners to ensure timely progression of innovation programs.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

- Number and quality of original research programs, invention disclosures, proprietary technologies, and patent applications generated from strategic R&D; initiatives.
- Development of differentiated products, ingredients, processes, and technology platforms with clear scientific and commercial potential.
- Robustness and quality of experimental evidence supporting product differentiation, patentability, nutritional positioning, and proposed claims.
- Progress of strategic research programs from hypothesis and proof of concept through validation, scale-up readiness, and technology transfer.
- Development of scientifically credible and regulatorily defensible substantiation packages for nutrition, functional, and health-related claims.
- Identification and evaluation of relevant emerging technologies, ingredients, patents, scientific developments, and innovation opportunities.
- Timely achievement of research milestones, experimental studies, protocols, technical reports, invention disclosures, and scientific dossiers.
- Effectiveness of cross-functional and external collaborations in advancing research and commercialization objectives.
- Contribution to building long-term organizational capabilities, proprietary knowledge, and defensible technology platforms in alternate sugars, sweeteners, nutrition-led products, and other strategic innovation areas.

📌 Scientist - NPD & Innovation (Chennai)
🏢 Saaki Argus And Averil Consulting
📍 Chennai