R&D Manager

SUMMARY:
Vacancy at well known food manufacturer in Pretoria East has a vacancy for the abovementioned. The incumbent must have working knowledge of enzymes, be able to improve performance, cost and quality of products and develop new products and technology that will differentiate employer from its competitors. The objective of the role is to deliver growth and provide technical support to quality and operations whilst driving continuous improvement for R&D and facilities. Should you have any queries call Antoinette or Kaylin on 0861 FENRIS (336747).

POSITION INFO:

Responsibilities:
Develops new products that currently do not exist (based on scientific principles).
Identifies opportunities to improve/enhance current products (product optimization) in terms of performance, cost, and quality.
Identifies advantageous opportunities for new or existing products to differentiate company from competitors.
Drives and delivers growth for the company through product development, product improvement, cost reduction, product maintenance, testing, technical support to Quality and Operations.
Overcomes technical challenges to profitably, deliver identified opportunities.
Drives continuous improvement for R&D and R&D facilities.
Identifies, manages, and oversees effective use of R&D consultants within project work as needed.
Builds relationships with customers, suppliers, and internal functions.
Plans, organizes, and executes new product development activities to support business growth and continuity.
Provides technical leadership and expertise to projects from inception through commercialization and launch.
Creates and manages technical timelines, ensures risks analysis is complete and communicated.
Identifies, evaluates, and selects new ingredients, developments, trends and scientifically based technologies in food and baking industry to guide product development initiatives.
Drives and leverages internal and external suppliers to deliver ingredient and product innovation.
Writes detailed and accurate reports for analyses, experiments and projects to support senior management’s decision making. Proactively formulates a plan of action with the agreed upon result.
Translates product specifications into effective products that can be manufactured meeting target costs.
Plan, carry out and supervise process trials in the R&D lab, pilot plant, and bakeries.
Scale up the production process via plant trials, making changes to raw materials or components and process parameters to ensure quality is maintained during large-scale production.
Improve yields by reducing costs (e.g., using alternative materials or new machinery to improve efficiency, quality and yields in bottleneck areas).
Advises on equipment modifications to enable process changes for new product development.
Visits customers to further develop and enhance relationships.
Utilizes consumer and customer information to identify new business opportunities.
Identifies and delivers margin improvement opportunities on existing products.
Identifies information on competitive strategies, policies, capabilities, and customer/industry trends.
Builds a foundation of this knowledge for use in the organization.
Works with cross-functional teams to define and agree on objectives/priorities.
Makes persuasive presentations to external customers, project teams, and management.
Develops and maintains effective internal and external communications to accomplish organizational goals.
Communicates ideas that influence people’s position on critical issues and/or influence project or technical direction.
Consistently searches for better approaches/solutions/processes (continuous improvement)


Requirements:
A Tertiary qualification in Chemistry, Consumer Science or Food Technology
Minimum of 5 years’ experience in the food industry (preferably scientifically developing and launching products).
Knowledge of and experience in working with enzymes
Ability to apply scientific, engineering and consumer insights/principles in research, formulation, processing and commercialization of products.
Demonstrated understanding and regular incorporation of statistical analysis and DOE (Design of Experiments) into project work.
Ability to work in a plant environment for extended periods of time
20% regional travel required.


Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.