Beverage R&D Specialist

SUMMARY

The Beverage R&D Specialist is responsible for developing and managing the bakery café's beverage portfolio, including coffee, tea, refreshers, specialty beverages, seasonal offerings, and emerging beverage concepts. This role leads beverage innovation from concept through commercialization, creating products that enhance the guest experience, support brand strategy, drive sales, and complement the food menu.

Working cross-functionally with Operations, Marketing, Supply Chain, QC, and Procurement, this individual will identify consumer trends, develop best-in-class beverage offerings, and ensure successful implementation across café locations.

JOB DUTIES (include but are not limited to the following)

Beverage Innovation & Product Development

• Lead development of new beverage products across coffee, tea, and specialty beverage categories.
• Create seasonal, LTO, and core menu beverage offerings.
• Develop and optimize recipes for taste, quality, consistency, profitability, and operational execution.
• Conduct product research, formulation, testing, and sensory evaluations.
• Manage products through the full innovation process from ideation to launch.

Quality Control

• Create and implement product quality evaluation standards for new and existing beverages.
• Test and evaluate new and existing products for quality, consistency, and operational efficiency.
• Visit corporate and franchise stores for quality assurance.
• Identify any quality problems and recommend changes in quality standard where necessary.

Documentation

• Create and maintain up-to-date beverage recipe documentation.
• Develop and maintain NSO beverage manuals, training materials, standards, and evaluation criteria.
• Monitor and maintain recipe cost information.

Commercialization & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Operations to implement preparation procedures and execution standards.
• Work closely with Marketing on product positioning and launch support.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain and Procurement on ingredient sourcing and supplier partnerships.
• Support pilot testing, market validation, and post-launch optimization.

Trend & Consumer Insights

• Monitor consumer preferences, beverage trends, and competitor activity.
• Identify opportunities for menu innovation and category growth.
• Translate market insights into commercially viable beverage concepts.

Success Profile

The ideal candidate is a creative and consumer-focused innovator who combines strong beverage development expertise with commercial acumen. They are passionate about crafting beverages that elevate the café experience, drive business growth, and strengthen the brand's leadership in beverage innovation.