Job Summary:The Chocolate Production & R&D Manager is responsible for leading the end-to-end chocolate manufacturing operation while driving product innovation and continuous improvement initiatives. The role combines operational leadership with technical expertise in chocolate processing, product formulation, quality improvement, cost optimization, and new product development.The successful candidate will ensure world-class production standards, optimize manufacturing performance, develop innovative chocolate products, and collaborate closely with Quality, Supply Chain, Procurement, Sales, and Marketing to support business growth.Key Responsibilities:Production Management:Lead and manage all chocolate production operations to achieve production targets, quality standards, and cost objectives.Develop and execute production plans in coordination with Supply Chain and Planning teams.Ensure optimum utilization of manpower, machinery, and production resources.Monitor production efficiency, productivity, waste, and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).Drive continuous improvement initiatives to maximize operational efficiency.Ensure production schedules are achieved while maintaining product quality and food safety standards.Identify production bottlenecks and implement corrective actions.Monitor production KPIs and prepare regular operational reports.Research & Development:Lead the development of new chocolate products, recipes, and product innovations.Improve existing formulations to enhance taste, texture, shelf life, and cost efficiency.Conduct product benchmarking and competitive market analysis.Lead pilot production trials and industrial scale-up activities.Collaborate with Marketing and Commercial teams on new product launches.Evaluate new raw materials and alternative ingredients.Optimize recipes while maintaining product quality and profitability.Maintain technical documentation for all formulations.Food Safety & Quality:Ensure compliance with GMP, HACCP, ISO 22000, BRC, and food safety regulations.Work closely with QA/QC teams to maintain product quality.Lead investigations related to quality deviations and customer complaints.Ensure compliance with internal quality procedures.Participate in internal and external quality audits.Operational Excellence:Implement Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives.Reduce production waste and improve production yields.Optimize manufacturing costs through process improvements.Monitor production performance using KPIs and dashboards.Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions.Team Leadership:Lead, coach, and develop Production Supervisors, Engineers, Technicians, and R&D Specialists.Conduct performance evaluations and identify development needs.Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.Build technical capabilities within the production team.Cross-Functional Collaboration:Coordinate with Procurement regarding raw materials.Work with Supply Chain on production planning.Support Marketing during new product development.Collaborate with Finance on production costing.Coordinate with Engineering on equipment improvements.Budget & Cost Control:Manage departmental budgets.Monitor manufacturing costs.Improve production efficiency and reduce waste.Support annual budgeting and forecasting.Qualifications:Bachelor's Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related discipline.Master's degree is an advantage.10–15 years of experience in food manufacturing.Minimum 5 years in a managerial role.Proven experience in chocolate manufacturing is mandatory.Experience in R&D and New Product Development (NPD).Experience with multinational or leading FMCG manufacturers is preferred.Technical Skills:Chocolate manufacturing technologies.Cocoa processing.Recipe formulation.Product development.Production planning.Lean Manufacturing.HACCP.GMP.ISO 22000.Food Safety Management Systems.CAPA.OEE analysis.Cost optimization.ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, etc.).Advanced Microsoft Excel.