Coffee Product Development Director Vietnam

Vietnam 
​Product Development Director - Coffee

JOB DESCRIPTION

REPORTS TO:                              Chief R&D Officer 
Direct REPORTS to this role: 3 x Managers (Total team of approx. 10) 
LOCATION:                                 Bien Hoa (Vietnam)
Industry: Food & Beverages

Our client founded in 1996, has grown to become a market leader in the domestic food and beverage industry. A key milestone in their organization occurred on 1st August 2003 when they established the global corporation with a total charter capital of VND 28.5 billion. It marked their first big foray into the domestic market by expanding their manufacturing capacity for local consumption.
Today, our client is one of Vietnam's largest local diversified food and beverages companies, FMCG companies. They manufacture and distribute a range of food and beverage products, including soya sauce, fish sauce, chili sauce, instant noodles, instant coffee, instant cereals and bottled beverages.
Since their establishment, they have developed innovative products in all of their categories, which they have entered with the aim of fulfilling big unmet needs.

 Position purpose
Leading clients R&D product development program for Coffee
Setting the product strategic direction & technology
Ensuring that all the innovations and other key development/improvement initiatives for these categories
meet the requirement of the business

 Position key accountabilities
 Innovation and improvement product leading role
Responsible for achieving the success criteria for innovation/improvement projects – product performance/acceptance, gross margin and on time in full delivery
Plays the lead coordinating role across:
functions in R&D: CTI, process development, packaging, system/spec, regulatory/micro & research
platforms
internal innovation partners such as Marketing and Supply Chain in achieving the above
Responsible for setting the product and technology strategic direction for innovation in coffee (working in close collaboration with Marketing and Supply Chain)

 Formulation design
Expertizes in understanding coffee technology (end to end) to deliver the formulations for
innovation/improvement projects to meet the product success criteria and deliver winning products on
time in full

• Defines & establishes optimum formulation & technological processes from a consumer sensory,
• preservation, etc. as well as financial point of view
• Partners with CTI in developing the technical product/concept insight and leads the successful transfer of it into the formulation
• Responsible for the delivery of sustainable and reliable laboratory development processes ensuring that products can effectively scaled up in the pilot plan & mass production
• Cooperates with packaging to ensure a safe and positive interaction between product & packaging (as well as the shelf life determined by packaging materials/designs)
• Identifies new coffee trends and corporates actively with external partners in developing future products – with a strong focus on “outside in” bringing new ideas and technology opportunities into the business
• Manages and ensures all the components & processes of product formulations and claims are in compliance with the local regulatory environment
• Understand and explores habits & identifies new consumer opportunities through the CTI teams technical expertise
• Manages, coaches & develops the coffee product development team, supporting them in project execution & career management/development

 Food technology areas

• Coffee technology – formulation and processing
• Technical Consumer Understanding
• Flavour and Aroma

 Education
Ideally Master degree in Food Technology, Food Science, Food Engineering

 Experience
At least 7 years’ experience
At least 5 years’ management experience in a food product development function
Risk Assessment and Six Sigma methodology and/or experience are important

 Competencies
Team Leadership and people development are key to this role along with influencing and change
management
 Contacts:
R&D: CTI, process development, packaging, system/spec, regulatory/micro & research platforms
Supply Chain: Purchasing, Manufacturing, Marketing
External: Suppliers, Institutes, Research Agencies
Other:

• Ability to work and deliver under tight delivery deadlines
• Have good problem solving skills
• Have excellent communication skills
• Be highly organized
• Be able to work effectively under pressure
• Be able to motivate yourself and others
• Have good team working skills
• Fluent in written and spoken English

​

Why Join Us?
Competitive company resource and benefit offered
Large company platform for career development
The best products in its market worldwide
Dynamic company culture and team environment
Travel opportunities to US and Asia 

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