The SunRice Group is an Australian ASX-listed branded food group, comprising multiple businesses, assets and operations across Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, the United States, The Pacific Islands and Asia. SunRice was built by the Australian rice industry over many decades and today is one of Australia’s leading branded food exporters, with approximately 2,000 employees and operations in 11 countries.
SunRice is a great place to work, providing a real opportunity for passionate people to make a difference.
About the role
If food gets you out of bed in the morning - and you love seeing ideas turn into products people actually eat - this one’s for you.
The Senior Product Development Technologist is responsible for leading the development and optimisation of food products from concept through to commercialisation. This role plays a critical part in delivering innovation, renovation, and cost optimisation projects aligned to business strategy, consumer insights, and regulatory requirements.
The position requires strong technical expertise in food science, cross-functional leadership, and the ability to translate market trends into scalable, high-quality products that meet consumer expectations, manufacturing capabilities, and commercial targets.
Key responsibilities will include:
Lead end-to-end product development projects from ideation through to launch, including benchtop formulation, scale-up, and factory trials.
Develop new products and reformulate existing products to meet cost, quality, nutrition, and sensory targets.
Translate consumer insights, market trends, and business briefs into commercially viable product concepts.
Drive continuous improvement and product optimisation initiatives (e.g. cost reduction, quality enhancement).
Lead cross-functional teams including Marketing, Operations, Quality, Procurement, and Packaging to deliver projects on time and within budget.
Develop and manage project timelines, risks, and milestones.
Support stage-gate processes and provide clear technical recommendations to stakeholders.
Work closely with manufacturing teams to ensure smooth product launches and process capability.
About You
Strong knowledge of food science, ingredient functionality, and processing technologies.
Experience in developing food products within an FMCG environment.
Understanding of sensory science, shelf-life testing, and product quality systems.
Proven ability to lead cross-functional project teams.
Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
Ability to influence and drive decisions in a matrix organisation.
You will bring:
Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in Food Science, Food Technology, or a related discipline.
Typically, 5–10+ years’ experience in product development within a food FMCG environment.
Experience in chilled foods preferrable.
What’s in it for you
At SunRice Group, we believe great work starts with feeling supported, valued and inspired. When you join our team, you’ll enjoy a range of benefits designed to support your wellbeing, growth and everyday life.
SunRice Product Allowance: Take home a taste of what we do best. You’ll receive a weekly allowance of SunRice Group products, so you can enjoy and share the food we’re proud to make.
Leave: Enjoy competitive leave benefits, including volunteer leave and the option to purchase additional leave when you need extra flexibility.
Wellness Reimbursement: Your wellbeing matters. Twice a year, you’ll be reimbursed for fitness memberships or other health and wellbeing initiatives that help you feel your best
If you’re looking for a role where you can make an impact, stay close to the product, and work with people who genuinely care about what they do, we’d love to hear from you.
All correspondence will be dealt with in strict confidence.
SunRice is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. SunRice will consider qualified applicants for employment based on their merit, individual skills, qualifications and other appropriate criteria relevant to the role for which they are applying.
