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R&D Product Development Specialist

Research & Development Utrecht Full-time Netherlands

Job Description

Jacobs Douwe Egberts Research and Development Center (R&D) is part of the Global JDE organisation. R&D is the major contributor for developing innovative coffee and tea products and is constantly optimising the product portfolio. The focus of R&D is both on building Technology Platforms (TP) and on New Product Development (NPD). Moreover, some disciplines within R&D have a strong involvement in JDE business and are leading in decisions to be made. Projects are mostly carried out together with Marketing, Operation and Purchase Departments.

For our Single Serve team, we are looking to add a strong Product Development Specialist for NCC and L’Or Barista.

Within this role, you will be reporting to the R&D Category Manager and you will be at the heart of the Single Serve business working for NCC and L’Or Barista.

Your main responsibility will be to deliver the assigned R&D deliverables for medium and large and complex innovation/renovation projects, with some requiring agile project set up. You will have a high degree of autonomy in execution, with support from the line manager as expected. This will be done by applying ‘best in class’ R&D product development and project management skills while working closely with other members of the team to ensure project interdependencies are effectively managed.

The R&D deliverables are delivery of new/renewed product and process designs leveraging existing and new technologies, best practice product development & consumer insight tools, leveraging end to end thinking.

The role will be focussed on scoping of new R&D projects and programs, development of prototypes and ensuring the right feasibility assessments in close collaboration with the business as well as technology solutions. Although the focus will be on value creation, value delivery is also in scope and there the role requires bringing projects successfully to market. Being part of the category team you will be acting as partner to the business and supporting building of the R&D category plans to support VCP and VOP.

Furthermore in this role, you will:

  • Co-lead the different R&D disciplines, as well as independently lead other project initiatives, and act as the R&D technical co-ordinator in a cross functional project team. As such the role requires the management of medium to high complexity projects, cross-disciplined way of working within a high profile project and management of numerous cross functional stakeholders.
  • Support Proof of Function and deliver Proof of Application of new processes / new product technologies in close collaboration with the Research/New Technologies Team. Utilise both internal and external supplier expertise to identify opportunities to drive improvements
  • Develop prototypes and lead all aspects of pilot plant and scaling up to full production in the factory working as part of a cross-functional team. Lead commercialisation / production trials incl all qualification and validation deliverables.
  • Operate as part of a wider R&D multidisciplinary team and cross-functional network, collaborating closely with Manufacturing, Operations and Procurement
  • Play a role in influencing strategic decisions and deliver to market key product innovations in line with the overall business strategy. It requires strong collaboration skills, technical rigour and execution with excellence. 
  • Develop product from idea to market and in accordance with the product brief matching both quality and cost expectations on time. Reformulate products to improve taste or brewing performance.
  • Strongly contribute to the implementation and delivery of renovation or innovation initiatives to drive sustainable business growth, contributing to developing new products and related processes with an embedded competitive advantage and added-value consumer benefits that capture current market trends and relevant consumer insights.
  • Be responsible for ensuring compliance with company policies and procedures, leveraging best in class practices throughout all R&D activities and driving speed to market. This role assumes establishing and sustaining strong cross-functional partnerships
  • Frequent travelling abroad required across JDE internal & external manufacturing sites and suppliers (depending of course on the COVID pandemic).

Qualifications

If you’re bringing with entrepreneurial spirit and a drive to succeed, you’ll fit right in at JDE. Working globally and locally, our Associates have been positively influencing the world of coffee for over 265 years. We love people who are not afraid to try, and who try until they get it right. We value strong convictions and encourage debate. And all this in an open, friendly environment where you can approach anyone and grow any way you like.

For this role as a R&D Product Specialist (Senior) Single Serve Tassimo Dairy, we’re looking for someone who has the following skills and experience:

Background experience: 

  • A university degree in Food Technology, Food Engineering or another relevant technical study and proven experience in product and/or process development.
  • Over 5 years proven track record with product development & innovation or process technologies in the food industry (R&D and Operations).
  • Several years R&D project leadership
  • Proven experience in manufacturing, process engineering, product/process design and commercialisation.
  • Good business knowledge and integration of  Manufacturing, Research and Business strategies
  • Good in internal stakeholder management and technical risk management and proactive communication
  • Able to quickly build excellent relationships with internal and outside partners, as well as working with remote teams
  • Sound understanding of HACCP food safety, legal, environmental and regulatory parameters;
  • You are comfortable operating in a high paced category, able to deal with an ambiguous & dynamic environment while managing multiple projects with some interdependencies and high technical complexity;
  • Ability to travel at least 30% of your time which is required for this role (obviously when possible again given COVID travel restrictions)  

Does this sound like you? Please don’t hesitate to apply, we are looking forward to drink a cup of coffee or tea with you

Additional Information

Your application at JDE
If you are interested in this career opportunity at JDE, hit the “I’m interested” button and upload your application. After receiving your application we will do our utmost to give you quick feedback. Part of the recruitment procedure at JDE will be an online assessment, followed by interviews. A pre-employment check can be part of the recruitment process.

Company Description

For more than 265 years, JACOBS DOUWE EGBERTS (JDE) is inspired by its belief that it’s amazing what can happen over a cup of coffee or tea. We are fuelled by our purpose of unleashing the possibilities of coffee and tea to create a better future. Today, our coffee & tea portfolio is available in more than 100 developed and emerging markets, through a portfolio of over 50 brands that collectively cover the entire category landscape led by leading household names such as L’OR, Jacobs, Senseo, Tassimo, Douwe Egberts, Old Town, Super, Pickwick and Moccona. 

JDE is part of JDE Peet’s, the world’s largest pure-play coffee and tea company, headquartered in The Netherlands.

What’s it like to work at JDE?

We are proud of our passionate, driven associates that challenge the status quo and pursue mastery in everything they do. Our goal is simple and ambitious – JDE: A coffee & tea for every cup.

At JDE, we're Made to Stand Out. Every day we are progressive in outlook, ambitious in nature, resourceful in action and decisive in approach, bringing coffee and tea moments to everyone around the world.

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