Manager – R&D

Job description

Role Overview Licious is seeking an innovative and research-driven professional to lead Valorization R&D initiatives focused on converting by-products, waste streams, and underutilized materials from meat and food processing operations into value-added ingredients, functional products, and sustainable business opportunities. The role will drive research, process development, pilot-scale validation, commercialization, and cross-functional execution aligned with sustainability and profitability goals. Key Responsibilities Research & Product Development  Identify opportunities for valorization of meat, poultry, seafood, and processing by- products.  Develop innovative ingredients, nutraceuticals, pet food ingredients, functional foods, bioactive compounds, and sustainable products from waste streams.  Lead extraction, recovery, and stabilization of proteins, fats, collagen, peptides, minerals, and other value-added components.  Design and execute experiments (DOE) for process optimization and yield enhancement.  Develop new technologies for waste reduction and circular economy initiatives. Process Development & Scale-Up  Develop laboratory, pilot-scale, and commercial-scale processes for valorization projects.  Create SOPs, process protocols, technical specifications, and validation reports.  Work closely with manufacturing teams for process implementation and scale-up.  Optimize processing efficiency, product quality, and cost-effectiveness. Innovation & Technology Assessment  Evaluate emerging technologies in food processing, extraction, bioprocessing, fermentation, and sustainable manufacturing.  Conduct technical feasibility studies and proof-of-concept trials.  Support intellectual property generation, patent filing, and technology documentation. Cross-Functional Collaboration  Collaborate with Procurement, Operations, Quality, Regulatory, Marketing, and Commercial teams.  Provide technical expertise for commercialization and product launch activities.  Support regulatory compliance, labeling requirements, and food safety standards. Sustainability & Circular Economy  Drive initiatives focused on waste-to-value conversion and resource optimization.  Develop sustainable solutions aligned with ESG and environmental goals.  Measure and report sustainability impact and business benefits of valorization projects. Qualifications  Ph.D./M.Tech in Food Technology, Food Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Agricultural Engineering or related disciplines, MVSc (Livestock Products Technlology), MVsc (Animal Nutrition).  6–10 years of experience in R&D, process development, ingredient technology, extraction technologies, food innovation, or valorization-related projects.  Experience in product development, process optimization, pilot plant operations, and commercialization. Preferred Skills  Valorization and by-product utilization  Previous experience with meat & fish  Protein extraction and recovery technologies  Food ingredient development  Pet food or animal nutrition product development  Design of Experiments (DOE)  Food safety, regulatory compliance, and quality systems  Process design and scale-up  Technical report writing, patents, and research publications  Strong stakeholder management and project leadership skills  Team Management Key Success Metrics  Successful commercialization of valorization projects  Reduction in waste disposal costs  Revenue generation through value-added products  Improvement in recovery yields and process efficiency  Number of innovation projects scaled to production  Sustainability impact and resource utilization improvements