Kerry Group Plc – Founded in 1972 in Co. Kerry, Ireland, the Kerry Group has annualised sales in excess of €7 Billion and supplies over 18,000 food ingredients and flavour products to customers in more than 140 countries worldwide. We have established over 150 manufacturing sites, operate in over 30 countries, and employ 25,000 people worldwide.

Kerry has been present in the Asia-Pacific region since 1997 and has grown its business to become a supplier of choice for our regional and local customers. With over 4,500 employees across the Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA), Kerry has many exciting opportunities at our many Development & Application Centres, Sales Offices and Manufacturing sites. Spread over 18 countries – and growing – Kerry plays a large role in supplying food & beverage solutions to this diverse region.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: R&D Senior Scientist – West Africa

Requisition ID: 35260
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Position Type: FT Permanent
Reporting to: General Manager, Nigeria

About the Role

• In this role, you will need to work very closely with Sales, Business Development, Marketing, and the Application teams, as well as the key stakeholders in our markets.
• You will need to push existing portfolio, drive the development pipeline, the key initiatives, launch the new developments in our markets and support the efforts with key customers.
• In addition, you will lead a product development technology within an End Use market that is responsible for the development of new products or the adjustment of existing products from brief to launch – including the implement and handover of new approved products and processes to Operations.
• Concurrently, you will build strong customer relationships and driving customer and consumer centric solutions.
• Mainly, you would work as a member of a research unit or project team to provide second level supervision to RDA Scientists, with technical leadership and mentoring to junior members.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development of new products and processes from a brief to launch. Responsible for product development from initiation to launch.
• Ensure products are brought to market timeously
• Implement and handover new approved products and processes to Operations and QC
• Source new raw material for new products.
• Support plant trials, commercialisation process, customer process concerns etc
• Oversees sensory tasting and application screening to support new solutions and sales.
• Builds further scientific knowledge through interaction with RDA managers and directors and/or academic reviews, literature reviews, regulatory monitoring, and application studies.
• Ensure that all HACCP and ISO as well as Health and Safety Standards are maintained in RD&A.
• Liaising with sales, operations and QC as required
• Is responsible for meeting predefined Key Performance Indicator (KPI) targets. Monitors and measures performance against targets. Takes action where necessary to ensure target achievement.
• Keeps up to date on best practice and competitor benchmarking on product development within the product group to ensure Kerry’s leadership position
• Ensure that Kerry is keeping abreast of leading-edge science to drive efficiencies and effectiveness in the quest to develop new product solutions.
• Build strong customer relationships and driving customer centric solutions
• Confers cross functionally to resolve problems
• Ensures good laboratory practices and lab protocols are being met globally.
• Evolves record documentation and methodology into appropriate database.
• Maintains the calibration of laboratory instruments, proper calibration records and laboratory supply stock.
• Documents all research notes in lab books and computer databases, documents key learnings from work.
• Maintains laboratory, including upkeep of equipment, stock of supplies and general cleaning of work areas.
• Actively participates and drives quality improvement of the function.
• Builds further scientific knowledge through interaction with RDA managers and directors and/or academic reviews, literature reviews, regulatory monitoring and application studies.

Qualifications and skills

• Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science, or similar field with 5 – 8 years’ experience within the Food and Beverage industry, as a Scientist or related experience.
• Experience in building of Customer-Supplier relationships
• Raw material knowledge of ingredient functionality
• Knowledge and experience with Microsoft word, power point and excel.
• Knowledge and experience of SAP is an advantage.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.