Reporting to the Marketing & Strategy Director , the Head of R&D is responsible for the development of successful new products & categories and the continuous renovation of existing products. The Head of R&D is to manage the project portfolio, mentor a team of Product Improvement Specialists, look at the team development (training, project assignment, talent management, temporary and permanent succession planning) and to ensure managerial responsibilities (target settings & reviews based on department KPIs/performances, project resources allocations/costs).
Key Accountabilities
Product Development Management
- Ensure the Establishment of consumer and category mapping & benchmarking based on consumers & business insights (key benefits, drivers and attributes, concepts and sensory spaces for consumer preferences)
- Develop the R&D strategy for recipe innovation and renovation in liaison with other business units.
- Direct the development process with respect to new / existing categories following ideas generated from Consumer Insight
- Lead product development and product improvements from bench to pilot plant trials, using innovative / existing ingredients while meeting regulatory / nutritional guidelines.
- Integrate consumer, food science and process knowledge in the interpretation of recipe innovation and renovation projects
- Ensure the products “supermarket and key libraries” are developed in harmony and constant challenging (strength, differentiation, flexibility of the libraries Vs categories’ opportunities)
Stakeholder Management
- Drive decisions by effectively networking with relevant stakeholders/decision-makers in R&D department, marketing & sales and other business units (e.g. procurement and operation)
- Pursue effective working relations with international food and food ingredient standards development organizations, suppliers, and other technical institutes working on ingredient or flavor research
Program Management
- Manage the R&D program and project priorities according to briefs from the markets by resource allocation and ensuring success by identifying competence level.
- Oversee the delivery of solutions at defined quality, time, and cost to fuel science-based innovation transfers into our business unit(s).
- Oversee knowledge building, documentation of results and methods
Technical Assistance
- Give operational support to the Process and Applications team in industrialization start-ups and follow up product launches, including product improvements as may be necessary
- Oversee the R&D Lab as it pertains to product testing, analysis, and validation on new products as well as analyzing and correcting R&D activities
Structure, Develop & Lead the team
- Manage the work of a reporting team of skilled scientists & lab technicians to deliver set objectives Vs department KPIs
- Oversee the ongoing development of the team & succession planning
- Ensure alignment to the Company Calendar, KPIs, Company policies and procedures in the R&D function’s undertakings
Ideal Candidate Profile
Education
- MSc degree in a relevant technical field (Food Science/Technology/Engineering, Material Science, Analytical Chemistry, Product Technology, etc.).
- Preferably with a PhD in the food science field
Experience
- Minimum 10 years’ experience in R&D, specifically Product Development (Recipe) in the food and beverage industry
- Previous professional experience across food / beverage portfolio & project management, formulation with strong ingredient knowledge and diverse process experience in powder food & beverage mixes will be considered an asset
- Experience working with cross functional teams from Consumer Insights to Applications management
Technical skills
- Fluent English
- Strong ingredient knowledge
- Knowledge of product development processes and prototype modeling methods
- Excellent project and time management skills
- Sensory training and experience
- Up to date knowledge of quality, safety, and hygiene requirements
- Solid knowledge of Product Lifecycle Management Systems, performance reporting and financial/budgeting processes
Soft skills
- Creativity and Innovation
- Strategic Thinking and Change Management
- Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving
- Attention to Detail
- Drive for results
- Quality Orientation
- Building strategic partnerships
- Influencing and impact including conflict management
- Environmental Scanning (including Global Awareness)
- Program and Project Management
- Vision creation and motivation
- Monitoring and measuring
- Developing People