R&D Expert Plant Based Solutions

Job content

About Vandemoortele

Vandemoortele is a leading European food group that manufactures and sells high-quality food products.

Vandemoortele has two business lines: one in frozen bakery products and one in margarines, culinary oils and fats (MCOF).

In 2021, Vandemoortele realized a turnover of ca 1,33 billion euro. The Group is present in 12 European countries with 5,200 employees. The Vandemoortele headquarters are located in Ghent, Belgium.

Working at Vandemoortele, you will get all the chances to grow within a people oriented and value driven environment, where cooperation, respect and ambition are key. With headquarters based in Belgium you will be part of an international company having a dynamic, driven, ambitious and collegial atmosphere. We believe a more organic, flexible culture leads to a healthier work-life balance, motivates employees and ensures that we can work well together towards even better outcomes.

You will participate in a culture built on trust, empowerment, self-management and shared leadership, a culture where we all share the same sense of responsibility to getting the job done.

For our R&D center, based in Izegem, we are currently looking for an R&D Expert Plant Based Solutions

Your role:

As R&D Expert Plant Based Solutions you act as a technical expert within your domain and you provide support to R&D-colleagues and different departments such as procurement, production, quality etc.

You create, in collaboration with the Category management team, an innovation funnel that matches the strategic needs of Vandemoortele and you act as the key R&D contact for new innovations towards the management and other stakeholders.

You lead mid-term innovation projects in close collaboration with our research teams, sensory experts, central and local development centre.

Furthermore, you lead and coordinate internal projects (e.g. on raw materials, ingredients, process improvement…) for which you monitor performance, recommend schedule changes, cost adjustments or resource additions. You investigate facts and you develop solutions to problems in different phases of the projects, you provide timely and accurate information and status updates. You visualize the added value (kpi’s) within your domain and ensure communication to relevant stakeholders and management.

You report to the Science and Technology Manager MCOF and will be working at our R&D Centre based in Izegem.

Your key responsibilities?

As the Product Specialist of applications in plant based solutions, you

• Act as a tandem with the business developer plant based solutions. Help defining the customer needs by visiting customers and by reaching gout to research partners.

• Create in-depth knowledge of the different applications in plant based solutions;

• Investigate in the product range for the defined applications & explore capabilities of plant based solutions;

• aid the technical screening of new requests in the assessment process;

• give technical support to commercial & sales teams;

• organize technical seminars (internal/external);

• ensure information sharing throughout the Vandemoortele community;

• actively follow market trends, competitors and new developments in the market.

As the Project leader of innovation projects, you

• strictly follow the mid & long-term strategic projects of R&D in your expertise domain to ensure that projects are delivered on time, within scope and budget.

• translate ideas or commercial product demands into technical product definitions;

• optimize/harmonize the product portfolio followed by in-depth implementation in coordination with the commercial and marketing teams;

• develop new products from A to Z (lab test, pilot test, industrial test until full realization);

You provide support to one or more production sites for a defined product group:

• to lower the cost or improve the quality of existing products;

• to give technical input for the NPD-projects at the site.

Other key responsibilities:

• you provide technical support to different departments of the division such as Sales, QA, Production, Purchasing Ingredients, Engineering, Traded goods etc.;

• You participate to projects as a team member outside the normal ‘product specialist’ related activities;

• You build up specific technical and scientific knowledge via literature, patents, seminars, institutes, etc.;

• You give training.

About you

• You hold a master’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Food Engineering, Food Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering or Biotechnology combined with at least 3 years of experience in R&D and/or product development within the food or chemical industry.

• Above all you are ambitious, energetic, driven and open to receive and give challenges. Your drive and enthusiasm will motivate you to go the extra mile in engaging others.

• You have well-developed analytical skills.

• Your excellent communication and persuasion skills enable you to motivate, drive and engage your internal (R&D, production, purchase, logistics, master data, etc.) and external stakeholders.

• You are proactive, and a driver for change. At the same time, you are pragmatic, problem-solving and looking for initiative.

• You can work together on major projects and you like to take ownership.

• You have excellent language skills, written and verbal, in English and Dutch.

• You are willing to travel 10% of your time (short trips).

What’s in for you?

We offer you challenging work with a great purpose in an international company having a dynamic, driven and ambitious culture and a collegial atmosphere. With headquarters based in Belgium, you will have a real impact on the business. You will get all chances to grow within a people oriented and value driven environment, where cooperation, respect and ambition are key. You will receive an attractive salary and will enjoy all fitting extra-legal advantages.