R&d Senior Product Developer / Technical Lead

Location: Wageningen 

Hybrid  

About the position   

We are looking for an experienced product developer and technical lead who is passionate about designing the best product ever for our consumers worldwide. As product quality is key to delight our consumers, you own the product and process design of new products.  You represent R&D in multidisciplinary project teams, delivering new product development and cost saving projects. You own R&D deliverables and leverage all technical expertise of the R&D functions while working closely with Marketing, Supply Chain and all other supporting functions needed to deliver the projects.   

You combine the product design with technical project leadership. You are a hands-on person and enjoy performing lab, pilot plant and factory trials. Your responsibilities are global, and you will work on multi-country spreads projects in Asia, Africa, Middle East, Latin America and Europe and potentially extensions of the portfolio into other categories.   

This role reports into the Product Development Manager Plant Spreads and is part of the Global R&D Product Team based in our amazing Food Science Centre in Wageningen, The Netherlands.  

On a daily base, you will:  

• Focus on creating amazing product & process design, leading to the best tasting, nutritious and functional products for our consumers. For this you will work together and guide the cross functional R&D project teams, including Consumer and technical insights, product & packaging developers, flavour experts, microbiologists etc.  
• Provide technical leadership to ensure the right technical deliverables and execution in time and in full. Ensure technical project management when it comes to timeline, quality and budget and ensuring proper documentation within projects.  
• Develop product prototypes on pilot plant and factory scale in line with the GMP and Food safety and quality standards.  
• Set up the relevant parts of product/technical specifications for sourcing and supply chain in line with quality and consumer safety requirements.  
• Collaborate closely with local R&D teams across the globe. Leverage central and local expertise to land innovation worldwide.   
  
  

So, what does it take to be successful in this role?  

• You are passionate about developing food that consumers will love, and you are willing to bring new ideas to the business.   
• MSc in Food Technology, Chemical Engineering, or a related field, with a minimum of 4-5 years of experience.   
• You have demonstrated ability to lead development projects and a proven track record of delivering projects punctually and comprehensively. 
• Experience collaborating with diverse cultures and global regions, you are familiar with emulsion/fat technology.  
• Experience managing stakeholders at different levels, manage project risks and timelines and have a helicopter view while being able to go into details as well.  
• You are a team player with a proactive, can-do attitude, you excel in navigating ambiguity and rapid changes while providing clear direction.  
• You can communicate effectively, fluent in English, and have flexibility to travel to factories as needed.
     

What’s next ? 

If this position sounds interesting, please hit the apply button now! If you have additional questions, you can send me, Elif Kocoglu, a WhatsApp message on +31615472665.  

We understand your resume might not be up to date and recommend that you apply with what you have or your LinkedIn Profile. Upfield is dedicated to building an inclusive and diverse workplace, we understand that you might not meet all the requirements stated in the description, but we encourage you to apply anyway. You might be the right candidate for this role or other roles.   

 Upfield is an employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace and equal opportunities for all. We recruit based only on values, qualifications, performance, skills, behaviours, experience, and knowledge. We ensure job advertisements are free from unintentional bias.   

No personal characteristics should be a barrier to joining Upfield. We prohibit discrimination and harassment based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or other personal characteristics.  

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