Global R&D Manager – Expert Team

The organisation

Royal Zeelandia Group is a global player in the bakery ingredients business, with 3,500 employees worldwide and its Headquarters located in Zierikzee, The Netherlands. Founded in 1900 by the Dutch family Doeleman, Zeelandia has more than 120 years of experience, with operations in over 30 countries and sales in about 100 countries. Together with their customers – industrial bakeries, small artisanal bakeries and midsized bakeries – they explore the world of bakery.

The position

In today’s society consumer trends and demands are ever changing. By thinking differently Zeelandia finds inventive ways to create bakery success with products and services tailored to local tastes and needs, and to inspire its customers with bakery ingredients and better ways to bake, manage and sell. Global and local R&D teams play a crucial role in the innovation and optimalisation of bakery products and the technical support to customers. One of these teams is the Global R&D Expert Team, with focus on discovering new expertise, sharing relevant knowledge and supporting global product innovations. For this team, located in Zierikzee, we are searching for a professional Global R&D Manager – Expert Team.

For discovering, sharing and supporting global innovations

Tasks & responsibilities

• Responsible for developing and realizing the technology development R&D program using corporate and local resources and ensuring optimal knowledge exchange within the Royal Zeelandia Group
• Leading and developing a team of 20 employees comprising product technologists, scientists, analytical specialists and analysts
• Contributing to category/product strategy plans by sharing customer and technology developments
• Defining an annual and three year R&D technology development program in line with category plans
• Implementing the R&D technology development program through adequate resource allocation within own department and through coordination with Global Category Development Managers and local R&D Managers
• Building and maintaining external networks with suppliers, research institutions and universities; bridging these external relations with the internal R&D organisation
• Acquiring new knowledge, sharing relevant information with stakeholders, developing global and local skills and organising technological trainings
• Member of the Global R&D Management Team, together with Global R&D Category Development Managers; reporting to the Global Director Marketing and R&D

Candidate profile

• Master/PhD degree in Food Science, Technology, Chemistry or a similar educational background
• Senior and relevant R&D management experience in the international food and/or food ingredients industry
• Proven track record in managing, building and developing professional R&D teams and utilising the available knowledge of professionals for global innovation processes
• Good understanding about actual market requirements in the food business and able to translate this into R&D programs, plans and actions
• Relevant knowledge about raw materials, ingredients and their interaction in the application and processing of food products, knowledge of different bakery processes in both SME and industrial bakeries is a plus
• Familiar with Intellectual Property and knowledge protection
• Comfortable working in an international business environment with many stakeholders in R&D and other functional disciplines at both global and local level
• Strategic insight with excellent communication and presentation skills, in Dutch, English and preferably other European languages
• Personal skills: leadership, well organised, analytically strong, commercial savvy, setting priorities, drive for innovation and results, convincing and taking decisions.

Interested?

If you are interested in this position please use the link below. For more information please contact the consultant in charge: Jakob Jan Verbraak or Hans Hilbrands, +31 346 – 87 00 20.