Product Development Manager

Job Description

As Product Development Manager, you are Providing technical advice to European customers on products, applications and processing conditions, based on thorough understanding of their requirements, location Zwijndrecht (The Netherlands).

Company

Unimills B.V. (www.unimills.com) is a member of the Malaysian Sime Darby group (www.simedarby.com), the world wide number 1 in palm oil. Unimills is a leading European supplier of tailor-made vegetable oils from the company base in Zwijndrecht, the Netherlands. Unimills manufactures more than 250 products under key brand names including Delico® hardstocks for margarines and spreads, GoldBake® dough fats for bakery applications, Cremex® for ice cream fats and Prifex® for premium flaked fats. Based on innovation and responsibility, the Unimills strategy is directed to being the preferred supplier of tailor-made healthy vegetable oils and fats and co-developer of new healthy food products with the leading FMCG food companies. Unimills is also the base for the Sime Darby Innovation Centre Europe which is part of the global Sime Darby R&D organisation with its headquarter in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. To realize the further growth ambitions, the Product Development department of Innovation Centre Europe is looking for a Product Development Manager.

Position

• Providing technical advice to European customers on products, applications and processing conditions, based on thorough understanding of their requirements
• Responsible for developing new products and improving existing products based on customers’ needs
• Steering the total Product Development process, from early prototype development to final product and specifications
• Conducting trials at customers’ facilities and at the in-house pilot plant and applications centre
• Identifying customer needs and business opportunities and translating these into commercial feasible concepts
• Working closely together in projects with colleagues from European Sales and Marketing
• Liaise with colleagues at Innovation Centre Asia and Africa and the R&D Centre of Excellence Oils and Fats in Malaysia
• Reporting to the Head of Innovation Centre Europe

Profile

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Food Technology or a similar field
• Several years of working experience in developing and manufacturing new fat containing products, preferably in the FMCG / food industry
• Comfortable working and travelling (up to 20% of time) in an international business setting in Europe
• Strong communication skills with fluency in English and preferably native in one of the  European languages and the ability to adapt quickly to the local cultures
• Personal skills: self starter, analytic, creative mind, pragmatic, dealing with ambiguity, drive for results, integrity and team player

 Ref DUPP29