About this role
Key Responsibility/ Accountability:
Product Development and Customization:
- Design and develop tailored ingredient blends (e.g., hydrocolloids, modified starches, enzymes, proteins, emulsifiers, etc.) to meet specific customer needs in food applications like dairy, beverages, savoury, etc.
- Ensure product solutions align with regulatory requirements in the region.
- Responsible to conduct in-depth application study in various food categories in order to verify the performance of the blended solutions developed.
Technical Support and Problem Solving:
- Provide technical expertise to internal teams and customers on formulation challenges and application troubleshooting.
- Work with Innovation & Development Team members across APAC Region to develop suitable prototypes to showcase the functionality of ingredient blends for client presentations.
- Conduct root cause analysis for customer production issues and recommend practical solutions.
Customer Collaboration and Engagement:
- Work closely with customers and internal sales and business development team to understand their specific needs and tailor solutions accordingly.
- Conduct technical training sessions, workshops, and product demonstrations for clients as per requirement in collaboration with local Innovation & Development team.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with key customers especially customers in SEA.
Regulatory and Compliance Management:
- Closely work with local regulatory, Innovation & Development and compliance team to ensure ingredient blends comply with local regulations in key markets (e.g., labelling, permitted additives, and standards).
- Liaise with regulatory teams to update product specifications and certifications.
Cross Functional Collaboration:
- Collaborate with Innovation & Development, Business Development, Sales, Marketing, Procurement, Manufacturing and Operations teams to ensure seamless product development and commercialization.
- Provide technical input for customer proposals, market strategies, and product launches.
- Work closely with various suppliers in order to obtain the best solutions.
- Proactively work with Procurement team to identify risk and explore opportunities to improve the blends profitability
- Proactively work with Procurement team to identify new ingredient suppliers for blends.
Qualifications and Experience:
Educational Background:
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in food science, Food Technology or Food Engineering.
- Experience:
- 10+ years of experience in food R&D, product development, or technical service, with a focus on ingredient solutions.
- Proven track record of developing and commercializing functional blends for food applications in the APAC/SEA region.
Technical Skills:
- Strong knowledge of hydrocolloids, starches, emulsifiers, proteins, and fibers.
- Handson experience with food processing equipment and pilot plant operations. Familiarity with APAC food regulations and compliance requirements.
Soft Skills:
- Excellent problem solving and project management skills.
- Strong communication and presentation skills for customer interactions and internal collaboration.
- Ability to work in a cross cultural, dynamic, and fast paced environment.
Regional Expertise:
- Understanding of diverse APAC markets, including consumer preferences, product trends, and challenges.
Preferred Attributes:
- Must have a customer centric mindset.
- Have experience in dairy or plant-based product formulations.
- Proficiency in sensory evaluation techniques and data analysis.
- Familiarity with advanced tools for sales and management (Sales Force)
- Demonstrated negotiation and influencing skills and ability to work well as part of cross functional / cultural teams.
- A strong work ethic, flexible in approach and supportive of others.
- Results orientated with a solutions-based approach.