Job description
INNOVATION
- Creating and leading a multi-year innovation pipeline for Java House and its subsidiary brands including Commercial Innovation while supporting brand strategies.
- Identifying trends and insights that lead to the conceptualization of product ideas that will uniquely and competitively position Java House.
- Work closely with a team of chefs and other related departments to ensure all new products meet technical, price and production parameters.
- Develop the food and beverage platforms for new concepts and channels for all brands.
- Drafting and signing off on product specifications and documentation.
BUSINESS INTERACTION AND PERFORMANCE
- Conceptualization of new products right through the seamless transition to the brand team post launch and track year-one-in-market performance.
- Responsible for improving existing product offering to address Ever-Changing Consumer Demands.
- Work closely with finance in delivering P&L, including Y1 and ongoing volume forecasts, along with pricing and trade recommendations to profitably win in the marketplace.
- Drafting and updating company existing/New Product Development procedures and ensuring that all staff are fully compliant.
- Reporting on product performance on a regular basis.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
- Food Industry R&D activities and business performance leading to improved business performance.
- Presenting new products to potential customers through research and co-creation groups.
CUSTOMER INTERACTION AND CO-CREATIONS
- Be the key customer contact for all issues concerning product innovations and outcomes (Business-Customer interface).
COMMUNICATION AND TEAM
- Fostering an environment in which team members are motivated to generate new ideas based around clear customer feedback.
- Taking responsibility for successful handover of product to process development staff
- Contribute to all wider business perspectives from a food innovation perspective.
- Develop the food and beverage platforms for new concepts and channels for all brands.
- Formulating new production processes or stages within processes.
- Generating ideas for new products and researching feasibility in terms of profitability, resource availability and compliance with regulations.
- Optimized costing of menu items.
- Recording and analyzing data.
- Mapping out the marketing calendar on offers and specials.
- · Liaising with engineering, research, technical and/or production staff.
- · Writing and reading technical papers, reports, reviews and specifications.
- · Keeping up to date with relevant scientific and technical developments.
- Product development scientists are often responsible for supervising a number of projects at once.
Role overview
FUNCTION
Other
INDUSTRY
Food & Beverages
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
3-5 years
LOCATION
Nairobi
MUST-HAVE SKILLS
- Culinary Expertise
- Creativity and Innovation
- Market and Trend Awareness
- Quality Control and Safety
- Cost Management
About Java House
Java House, commonly referred to as ‘Nairobi Java’, opened its first store in 1999 at Adam’s Arcade in Nairobi. With the aim of introducing gourmet coffee drinking culture in Kenya, the first outlet was a coffee shop and later the brand evolved to an American diner style restaurant to its present-day status as a 3 -day part coffee-led, casual dining concept.
Java House is now one of the leading coffee brands in Africa and has grown to have outlets in 14 cities across 3 countries in East Africa (Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda). It has also birthed two sister brands Planet Yoghurt, a healthy, tasty and fun frozen yoghurt store and 360 Degrees Pizza, a casual dining restaurant.
“Welcome to Java. A home away from home”
