Reporting: Product Developer
Location: Westlake
*Please note that the location of this role will be moving to Montague Gardens in May 2027.
Cape Herb & Spice has grown from entrepreneurial roots into a global FMCG player, employing over 500 people and operating over 3 sites in Cape Town with a wide range of products across various categories.
Centered around innovation and quality, Cape Herb and Spice give any candidate a great opportunity to gain extensive international experience and build an exciting career.
Purpose:
The Spice Division is looking for a dynamic Development Technologist to support innovation and new product development for key customers across local and international markets.
The successful candidate will own new product development projects from concept through to launch, with a specialist focus on project execution. Working across cross-functional teams, this role ensures projects are effectively planned, coordinated and delivered on time while maintaining alignment with customer and business requirements.
Role Objectives:
- New Product Development
- Project Management
Key Functional Duties:
The Development Technologist owns projects from concept through to launch and is responsible for:
- Keep abreast of, and research, new concepts, trends, market activity and innovation within the herb and spice categories.
- Develop innovative, commercially viable products aligned with customer requirements, market trends and intended target markets.
- Manage all stages of the product development process from concept through to successful launch.
- Support recipe formulation, product optimisation and product costings.
- Research and apply relevant technical and regulatory requirements across local and international markets.
- Adapt product formulations and ingredient selections to meet country-specific regulatory, customer and market requirements.
- Develop and adapt products to meet market-specific customer, ingredient and regulatory requirements.
- Create and maintain product specifications, in-process specifications, Bills of Materials (BOMs) and related technical documentation.
- Support the development and adaptation of artwork for different international markets, ensuring ingredient declarations, allergens, claims, nutritional information and other mandatory labelling requirements are compliant.
- Review product labels, artwork and specifications for customer and country-specific legislative compliance
- Manage artwork development and review product labels, artwork and specifications for technical, customer and legislative compliance across relevant markets.
- Support packaging development and the sourcing and technical assessment of compliant raw materials and packaging.
- Ensure NPD activities comply with company certifications, food safety requirements and applicable country-specific regulations.
- Liaise with customers, suppliers and internal departments throughout the development process.
- Plan and support factory trials, travel tests, first production runs and product launches.
- Conduct product tastings and evaluations to ensure products are safe and meet quality and customer expectations.
- Work closely with the Technical Development Technologist to ensure projects are successfully delivered through to launch.
Role Specialisation – Project Delivery:
In addition to the above responsibilities, this role has a specialist focus on:
- Take ownership of projects following concept development and drive them through to successful launch.
- Develop and maintain project plans, timelines and critical paths to ensure key milestones are achieved.
- Manage project trackers and CPAs, following up on actions and keeping projects on schedule.
- Coordinate cross-functional activities and communication across NPD, Procurement, Packaging, Quality, Operations, Commercial and Supply Chain.
- Manage artwork projects from brief through to final approval, including adaptations required for different customers and international markets.
- Coordinate the required technical, regulatory and customer inputs for artwork and ensure approvals are completed within project timelines.
- Manage customer, supplier and internal stakeholder communication throughout the project.
- Identify project risks, delays and dependencies and work with the relevant teams to resolve or escalate where required.
- Provide clear and regular project updates to key stakeholders.
- Coordinate and support factory trials, production readiness and launch activities to ensure a smooth transition into production.
- Ensure project documentation, approvals and records are complete and accurate throughout the development process
Education & Required Knowledge:
Either an equivalent of the below degree or 1- 3 years’ experience will be recognized:
- Food Technology
- Consumer Science
- BSc Food Science
Experience in:
- Project Management
- Product Development
- Cross-functional Project Coordination
- FMCG or Food Manufacturing
- Computer Literacy (Microsoft office)
- Excel Fluency – Intermediate level
- Excellent verbal and written communication in English
Personal Characteristics:
- Deadline driven
- Proactive and enthusiastic
- Highly organised with strong planning and prioritisation skills
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
- Strong coordination and organisational skills
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Solutions orientated
- Resilient and adaptable
- Ability to work in a high-pressure and fast-paced environment
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
- Commercially minded
- High attention to detail
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Knowledgeable foodie
If you have not received a response within two weeks of application, kindly consider your application unsuccessful.
To consider any application for employment, we will have to process your personal information. The Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013 (POPIA), provides that when one processes another’s personal information, such collection, retention, dissemination and use of that person’s personal information must be done in a lawful and transparent manner.
To give effect to the above, we are required to provide you with information regarding the processing of your personal information. This information is recorded under the HR Processing Notice, which can be accessed and viewed on the Company website at https://www.libstar.co.za/legal/. Printed copies of this Processing Notice can also be accessed from the HR department. We kindly request that you read the HR Processing Notice to ensure that you understand how Libstar uses and processes your personal information.