Research And Development Manager- Protein & Function Food

About OWN:

"Only Whats Needed (OWN) is people-powered food platform by Revant Himatsingka (Food Pharmer) that builds products with the people of India. We want to build trust in packaged food by building with people, making key decisions public, and keeping ourselves open to public scrutiny by sharing comprehensive test reports by competent third party labs.

About the role:

This isnt a job. Its a calling.

Food Pharmers vision is simple and ruthless: help 140 crore Indians become healthier- by fixing whats broken in packaged nutrition: misleading labels, unnecessary additives, and marketing that runs ahead of science.

At OWN, we build in public. We dont decide in a boardroom and announce later.

We prototype, test, share learnings openly, and make products with votes- guided by the Food Pharmer community. If youre the kind of R&D leader who wants to create impact & stand behind every ingredient publicly, youll feel at home here.

The core philosophy youll protect

• Only whats needed: clean, minimal formulations that earn trust.
• No flavour shortcuts: we dont hide behind vague flavour claimsour approach is ingredient-forward, transparent, and defensible.
• Radical transparency: specs, tests, learnings, trade-offsshared openly when it matters.
• Community-led creation: votes and feedback loops arent a marketing gimmick; theyre how we build.

Role: What you will own

You will take care of R&D across protein powders, protein bars, and functional foods- from idea bench prototype scale-up commercial launch while staying brutally honest about ingredients, processing, and real-world performance.

This role needs someone who can do both:

1. Formulation excellence (taste, texture, stability, digestion, shelf-life), and
2. Execution in the real world (manufacturers, suppliers, trials, constraints, timelines).

Responsibilities (what youll do here)

1) Build products that can survive public scrutiny

• Formulate and scale protein powders (whey/plant), bars, and blends that win on taste + performance without unnecessary ingredients.
• Define product specs and non-negotiables: nutrition targets, sensory targets, ingredient standards, compliance.

2) Lead scale-ups like an operator, not just a lab scientist

• Own plant trials: process parameters, mixing, filling, shelf-life stability, packaging interactions.
• Solve real problems fast: settling, grittiness, flavor drift, bar hardening, bloom, hygroscopicity, clumping.

3) Supplier relationships that unlock quality

• Build trusted partnerships with ingredient suppliers and manufacturers.
• Create an ingredient library with specs/COAs/compliance docs and clear acceptance criteria.
• Push suppliers harderbecause good enough doesnt serve Indians.

4) R&D that listens to the community

• Convert real feedback (taste, digestion, mixability, convenience) into iteration plans.
• Participate in build-in-public launches: clear explanations, honest trade-offs, proof-backed decisions.

5) Quality + regulatory readiness (with QA/Reg)

• Ensure products meet internal standards + applicable Indian regulations.
• Set testing plans and interpret results with integrity- no hiding, no spin.

Must-haves

• 810+ years in Food/Nutrition R&D with hands-on experience in protein powders and/or protein bars (functional foods acceptable if youve shipped products).
• Shipped products from concept commercialization (not just pilots).
• Strong formulation + process understanding (proteins, sweeteners, binders/fibers, stability).
• Comfort operating with ambiguity, speed, and high accountability.
• The courage to say: This doesnt meet our standard. We wont launch it.

Bonus if you have

• Sensory testing leadership and consumer testing methods.
• Experience building/mentoring an R&D team.