Nandos: Food and Innovation Internship Programme 2024 / 2025

The Food and Innovations Student is responsible for supporting the Food and Innovations Manager who creates new innovative product concepts incorporating new and/or existing ingredients and packaging to deliver a product that serves our customers’ needs and is operationally executable.

Responsibilities:

• Develop concept plans as aligned with the Brand Plan
• Based on concept development strategies, investigate food trends, innovations, and consumer needs to identify any unmet food needs
• Build concepts and review through research funnels to identify the top concepts that get approved for taste research
• Conduct quantitative concept research 
• Develop product prototypes through technical investigation into raw ingredients and interactions
• Conduct qualitative taste and sensory research analysis with the current target market to identify the most preferred product
• Follow Nando’s stage gate process taking the product from ideation to launch
• Apply SA legislation relating to food safety
• Develop and sign off specifications with Suppliers, including ingredients, packaging, equipment, and small wares
• Compile allergen booklet, and regularly update food nutritional & allergen info for all meal items 
• Collaborate with Operations to establish the feasibility of product execution and additional requirements that may be needed
• Collaborate with Supply Chain to source required ingredients and packaging within cost parameters
• Work on product enhancements or changes to existing products
• Work with Learning and Development to create product training approaches 

Requirements:

• In progress to achieve a Degree in Food Science or Technology Diploma or Food & Beverage Operations
• Driver’s License

Knowledge

• Knowledge of food microbiology (Basic)
• Knowledge of food processing (Basic)
• Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies (Basic)
• Knowledge of regulatory food legislation (Basic)
• Experience in Food Photography for food shoots (Basic)
• Understanding a student may not have all the above experiences